US Scraps Jackson-Vanik
Just in from the US-Ukraine Foundation. My congratulations on breaking through another of the barriers to Ukrainian trade exports.
March 8, 2006
Washington – The House of Representatives today passed legislation to graduate Ukraine from the Jackson-Vanik Amendment. The legislation, H.R. 1053, offered by Representative Jim Gerlach (R-PA), grants Ukraine normal trade relations status with the United States. The final vote results were 417 votes cast in favor of the bill, 2 against, and 3 abstentions. The Senate is expected to quickly act on this legislation.
Prior to the vote, the Jackson-Vanik Graduation Coalition held a press conference on Capitol Hill. Speakers included Representative Jim Gerlach (R-PA), Representative Curt Weldon (R-PA), Representative Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), as well as coalition co-chairmen Ambassador Steven Pifer and Ambassador William Green Miller, as well as NCSJ Chairman Dr. Robert Meth. Among other things, the speakers noted that the impending passage of H.R. 1053 would recognize the progress that Ukraine has made along its reforms path.
The Jackson-Vanik Graduation Coalition expresses its great appreciation to the House of Representatives for its passage of H.R. 1053. The Coalition in particular expresses its gratitude for the bipartisan leadership of Representative Jim Gerlach (R-PA), Representative Curt Weldon (R-PA), and Representative Sander Levin (D-MI). The Coalition further notes the strong support of the House leadership and the White House in achieving passage of H.R. 1053. Finally, the Coalition expresses its appreciation for the leadership in the Senate of Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN) and Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA) in graduating Ukraine from Jackson-Vanik.
Passage of legislation to graduate Ukraine from Jackson-Vanik recognizes the progress that Ukraine has made in building a modern democracy and market economy. The House of Representatives’ action today confirms the United States’ commitment to democracy and reform in Ukraine and to a robust bilateral relationship. In particular, it complements the Senate’s passage of legislation by unanimous consent in November 2005 to graduate Ukraine from the Jackson-Vanik Amendment, the United States granting Ukraine market economy status in February, and the United States and Ukraine concluding a WTO bilateral protocol on Monday.
The Jackson-Vanik Amendment was enacted in 1974 in reaction to the severe restrictions the Soviet Union had placed on emigration of its citizens, most notably those of Jewish descent. Since regaining its independence in 1991, Ukraine has built a strong record of open emigration and has fully met Jackson-Vanik’s freedom of emigration requirements, a fact recognized by both Presidents Clinton and Bush.
Posted on Thursday, March 9, 2006 at 09:01AM
by
Dan McMinn
in 01) Economics and Finance, 05) Foreign Policy - US
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16 Comments
Dan McMinn
in 01) Economics and Finance, 05) Foreign Policy - US
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16 Comments
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Reader Comments (16)
Just as absurd to continue having it against Russia.
http://groups.google.com/group/Untimely_Thoughts_An_Expert_Discussion_Group_on_Russia/browse_thread/thread/c4ed13e5c2d520da/8c942f715ed882fe?hl=en#8c942f715ed882fe
Based on your 2nd comment it seems that you believe that the Jackson Vanick should not be struck for UA?
Chris,
And your comment regarding anti-Semitism is based on what? just wondering.
If need be, I will gadly cite to you how an anti-Jewish Ukrainian political figure was recently honored by the Orange government.
I believe that I had done such at a previous post at this site.
For the record, I support the lifting of Jackson-Vanik on all of the former Soviet republics. At the same time, it's highly insulting to have it lifted for Ukraine but not for Russia.
Put yourself in the position of the Russian FM. He comes to Washington just as Ukraine has the clause lifted while his country still has it tagged.
Unnecessarily insulting no?
Are you familiar with the Action Ukraine Report?
It often does Russia exclusive features.
Whether one likes it or not, Russia and a good portion of Ukraine are very much interrelated. This is the view of MANY in Ukraine.
In reply to the matter of anti-Jewish sentiment in Ukraine, you reference some anti-Jewish trends in Russia. This doesn't take away from the view of Ukraine being seen as the more anti-Jewish (relative to Russians, most Jews seem to find Ukrainians to have the greater anti-Jewish sentiment). Note that between 2003-05 - 50,000 left Israel for Russia, whereas only 10,000 took the vice versa route during that most recent time period.
My point isn't to collectively bash Ukrainians. It's stupid to do so seeing how there're different views of Ukrainian identity among Ukrainians. At the same time, I strive for consistency. Like when some West Ukrainian-Americans faulted a 60 Minutes feature on Ukraine several years ago. I was on the protestors' side until they started injecting the absurdly unsubstantiated view that "Moscow" was behind that 60 Minutes segment. American mass media is extremely biased against Russia. To think that "Moscow" can influence 60 Minutes is flat out off the wall.
I don't get your unclearly stated point about "oppositional" somehow legitimzing the biased continuation of having Jackson-Vanik imposed on Russia but not Ukraine.
Dan has made it clear time and again that this is a Ukraine-centric blog so what others do/don't do has no relevance.
What I asked Chris was to try to understand the basis for his comment - "Uraine is far more anti-Semitic than Russia". I am still waiting on his reply.
In regards to clarification of my point, it would involve writing about Russia and America and their relations) and not Ukraine. Again, I will restate that I am personally in favor of removing Jackson Vanick for both Ukraine and Russia.
I answered that point on anti-Jewish in Ukraine versus Russia.
Dan has said that Russia can be discussed as it relates to Ukraine. The two are very much related.
Believing otherwise isn't quite in sync with reality.
Basicly your assertion regarding Ukraine anti-Semitism and Russian anti-Semitism, reflects your own personal view (and that is fine), but to state something as if it is a fact, is misleading, as well as to refer to one instance is not supporting. And to list individual instances is also not supporting - all it points to is that there are cases of anti-Semitimism in Ukraine. But it does not substantiate rates in Ukraine versus Russia, as a comparative study
In fact anti-Semitism in Ukraine (incidents) is lower than in Western European countries (check out http://www.tau.ac.il/Anti-Semitism/CR.htm
France 96 in 2004
while Russia 35 2001
Russia 18 2000
Ukraine 3 2001
Ukraine 4 2000
Not such a scientific report. I trust my own senses and experiences on this particular.
Russia is much larger than those other countries. Over the past few years, why have 50,000 left Israel for Russia whereas only 10,000 have left Russia for the Jewish state. In point of fact, Natan Sharansky has stated that Russia isn't worse than western Europe at large when it comes to the present day "Jewish question."
In my own lengthy experience, there seems to be more Jews from Ukraine's Communist drawn boundaries who have more of an identity with Russia than a Ukrainian nationalism stressing a separation from Russia.
"I trust my own senses and experiences on this particular." And that is fine. see what I wrote earlier "Basicly your assertion regarding Ukraine anti-Semitism and Russian anti-Semitism, reflects your own personal view (and that is fine), but to state something as if it is a fact, is misleading,..." and it is misleading to mix personal feelings and facts and present both as the real truth.
and the following is easily explained "Russia is much larger than those other countries. Over the past few years, why have 50,000 left Israel for Russia whereas only 10,000 have left Russia for the Jewish state." In the 1980's and 90's over half of the entire Jewish population in Russia left. Since the adoption of the Jackson-Vanik amendment, over one million Soviet Jews have immigrated to Israel. So 50,000 leaving Israel is a fraction of the number who arrived. And the largest numbers who wanted to emigrate have already done so (down to 10,000).
I don't see how that takes away from my point about 50,000 leaving Israel for Russia and only 10,000 doing vice versa over the past two years.
I posted a link from someone sharing my view on the "who is generally the more anti-Jewish."
Do you really believe differently?
One personal experience of mine was
at a job I had with a kosher caterer when I was an undergrad many moons ago. The kitchen rabbi was from Vilnius (my father's birthplace). This rabbi was a Pilsudki admirer with some anti-Russian tendencies. Without my egging him on, he said that Russians are generally not as anti-Jewish as Poles and Ukrainians.
For clarification purposes (as I'm not looking to start a war here), I find most Poles, Ukrainians, Russians and Germans to not be anti-Jewish.
My comment on comparative levels of anti-Semitism is based on opinion polls I've seen taken in both countries. IIRC the last poll in Russia had 7% of respondents expressing negative opinions about Jews, whereas the Ukrainian one had a figure of more like 25%. Again, if I recall correctly. I saw the Russian poll recently, the Ukrainian one a year or so ago.
BTW she says her mother in the L-city had to find out about the air show disaster from Russian media, because the L-city media didn't report it for a day or so after it happened.