Izvestia - 05.30.2003

 

David Johnson's List

RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR YURI USHAKOV: NONE OF MY PREDECESSORS WORKED UNDER SUCH FAVORABLE CONDITIONS

The Jackson-Vanik amendment is Washington's loss

Izvestia

 

By Yevgeny Bai

RUSSIA AND THE US HAVE MOVED BEYOND THE DISAGREEMENT OVER IRAQ. YET THERE ARE VIEWS THE TWO NATIONS HAVE NOTHING MORE TO OFFER EACH OTHER CURRENTLY. RUSSIA'S AMBASSADOR TO THE US DENIES THESE RUMORS SAYING THE AGENDA OF THE UPCOMING RUSSIA-US SUMMIT IS QUITE RICH AS NEVER.

On the eve of the latest Russian-American summit, we interviewed Yuri Ushakov, Russia's Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the USA.

Question: Many experts in Washington claim that the subject of disagreement between Russia and the US over the war on Iraq has been closed, and that is good news. But the bad news is that the two nations have nothing to offer each other at the next summit, so the agenda of the upcoming summit is extremely lean. What would you comment on this assertion?
Yuri Ushakov: Yes, no one is frustrated that Russian-American dialogue has one problem less. As for our cooperation, the agenda is impressive and rich as never. In St. Petersburg, the presidents are going to discuss the fulfillment of the Treaty on Strategic Offensive Reductions both sides have ratified. There is a prospect of real interaction in the missile defense area, which is also a subject for conversation. In St. Petersburg, one cannot get by without a talk about the threat of WMD proliferation either, and about joint fight against international terrorism. Another subject is regulating regional conflicts.

Question: They say it is easier to deal with American Republicans than with Democrats, because they are more predictable. What is Washington's political atmosphere like under Republicans?
Yuri Ushakov: As an ambassador, I would leave out the comparison who is easier to deal with. The main thing for us is different - what place this or that administration reserves for Russia in its system foreign policy priorities. A qualitatively new atmosphere has been formed in the last two years in Russian-American dialogue. The talk to the Americans goes on not the same way as formerly. It is apparently impossible to say we "have made friends for ever," but there is much more trust in relations. This is already a success.
I should observe that the atmosphere, the spirit of relations are incomparable with what we had just a few years ago. Even in spite of Iraq. Probably none of my predecessors in Washington worked in such a favorable situation.

Question: Representatives of Russia's business elite - Potanin, Khodorkovsky, Aven - have been frequent guests to Washington lately. However, America's business is so far not too active in Russia, while Congress again has put off considering the Jackson-Vanick amendment...
Yuri Ushakov: The executives of large Russian companies do not spend time on travel "for no particular reason." So if they have been frequent guests here, this means something is changing drastically. Speaking about figures, trade turnover between Russia and the US has started growing again; last year it exceeded $9 million. At the same time, Russia's exports to the US significantly exceed our imports from that country.
The Jackson-Vanik amendment? It is a barrier. It is a Cold War relic. How can one link issues of emigration from the former USSR (everyone who wished to go has left, and there is no more USSR) with problems of American poultry meat exports to Russia?
In my view, we should not exaggerate the significance of this amendment by paying attention to it. This Cold War relic is an American phenomenon, so it is up to them to fight it. The very existence of the amendment is Washington's loss.

(Translated by P. Pikhnovsky)