Intercon International - 04.18.2002

 

 

Intercon's Daily Report on Russia and the Former Soviet Republics

Daily Intelligence Briefing on the former Soviet Union
Published every business day since 1993

SPECIAL REPORT

Russian Trade And Jackson-Vanik

Russian Economic Development and Trade Minister German GREF has called on the U.S. Congress to remove Russia from the Jackson-Vanik Amendment to the Trade Act of 1974. This Amendment requires Russia to demonstrate it allows free emigration in order to qualify for normal trade relations with the U.S. He told reporters that the provision is, “absolutely inconsistent with the realities of today” and an impediment to trade relations. The BUSH administration has asked Congress to lift the measure before U.S. President George W. BUSH travels to Moscow in late May to meet with Russian President Vladimir PUTIN. 

This ambitious timetable, however, may be compromised by actions occurring in Russia on freedom of religion issues. Depending on the outcome of discussions and debates underway in the Russian State Duma, one expert remarked, “Russia may seize defeat out of the jaws of victory.” In an open letter Monday, Archbishop Tadeusz KONDRUSIEWCZ, leader of the Russian Catholic Church, claimed an organized campaign of harassment and discrimination is underway against Russian Catholics. They are not alone. There have also been examples of the Russian Government interfering with the functioning of Jewish community institutions.

These concerns have been recorded in U.S. Senate Resolution 234, which reiterated that religious freedom is a priority in the bilateral relationship with the Russian Federation, including within the context of the Jackson-Vanik Amendment. The resolution introduced on April 10th by Senators Gordon SMITH (R-OR) and Hillary RODHAM CLINTON (D-NY), underscores the commitment of the U.S. Senate to promoting religious freedom in Russia. The Resolution expressed concern over changes in the internal Russian religious climate. Especially troubling have been details of numerous and widespread restrictions upon minority faiths under Russia’s 1997 Religion Law. Deputy Prime Minister Valentina MATVIENKO said on October 23rd that the Russian government is working on amendments to the Religion Law to further restrict still the activities of foreign religious groups on Russian territory. Izvestiya reported on November 6th that no one in Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) is assigned to handle extremist and racist movements, while nationalist and anti-Semitic extremists continue to spread propaganda and incite violence in incidents across Russia.

Since 1974, some 573,000 people, many of them Jews, evangelical Christians and Catholics, have immigrated from the former Soviet Union to the U.S., Reuters reported. Another 1 million Russian Jews have immigrated to Israel in the same period. In testimony to the U.S. House of Representatives NCSJ Chairman Harold Paul LUKS noted that NCSJ supports the graduation of the Russian Federation from the Jackson-Vanik Amendment. He stressed, that this, “does not imply that we are prepared, at this time, to support the graduation of other FSU successor states to which Jackson Vanik still applies.” Georgia and Kyrgyzstan have also graduated from Jackson-Vanik. LUKS pointed out Russia has made considerable progress in two areas: “First, freedom of emigration for all Jews in accordance with the Helsinki Accords and establish principles of international law and Second, for those who choose to remain in Russia, freedom to practice the religion of their forebears, to participate in the unique aspect of Jewish culture and language, unfettered by governmental interference.” Furthermore, “NCSJ believes that any legislation to graduate successor states from the Jackson-Vanik Amendment should acknowledge assurances from the respective governments regarding freedom of emigration and other human rights.” 

NCSJ is urging the House Committee to adopt a policy subsection: “Urging the Russian Federation to continue its current policy regarding the free emigration of its citizens; safeguard religious liberty throughout the Russian Federation; prevent the requirement that religious organizations be registered from being abused to curtail activities of religious organizations; enforce existing Russian laws at the national and local level to combat ethnic, religious, and racial discrimination and violence; and expand the restitution of religious and communal properties, including establishing a legal framework for completion of restitution in the future; and Continuing rigorous U.S. monitoring of human rights issues in the Russian Federation, including the issues described in paragraph 1 [above], providing assistance to nongovernmental organizations and human rights groups involved in human rights activities in the Russian Federation, and establishing ongoing discussions with the Russian Federation regarding such issues, including the participation of U.S. and Russian nongovernmental organizations in such discussions.”

The repeal of the amendment faces opposition from the U.S. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max BAUCUS (D-MT), who wants to use it to maximize U.S. leverage in negotiations with Russia’s bid to join the World Trade Organization. The measure also faces hurdles in the House of Representatives. Republican leaders made have made a controversial agreement not to bring any trade bill to the floor until a provision governing textile trade with Caribbean countries has been changed to the satisfy U.S. textile state lawmakers. Georgia, which was previously removed from the Jackson-Vanik Amendment, is being used as a model for “graduating” Russia from the Amendment. There are two provisions from the Georgian withdrawal from the Amendment that might call the Russian “graduation” into question and delay the outcome in the Congress before the U.S.-Russia Summit. Section eight would require Russia to prove it is committed to enacting legislation protecting against the incitement to violence of “persons or groups based on national, racial, ethnic, or religious discrimination, hostility, or hatred, including anti-Semitism.” Section nine, “obligates the government to return communal properties confiscated from national and religious minorities during the Soviet period, facilitating the reemergence of these communities in the national life of Georgia and establishing the legal framework for completion of this process in the future.” Recent events and statements of prominent religious leaders in Russia will provide an opening to those who want the enforcement of these provisions, not just their promise.