The U.S. signed on April 6 a joint declaration with Russia to help it join the World Trade Organization (WTO) this year, Prime-Tass reports.
"We have confirmed our mutual commitment to help Russia join the WTO on commercially justifiable terms concordant with Russia's economic interests," Putin said at a news conference following a meeting with his U.S. counterpart George W. Bush. "In this light, we expect the U.S. to exempt Russia from the Jackson-Vanick amendment this year and establish permanent normal trade relations with us."
The Jackson-Vanick amendment was passed in 1974 and restricted U.S. trade with countries that limited emigration rights, including the Soviet Union. The amendment is still in force in regard to Russia.
Bush said at the conference that he supported Russia's efforts to join the WTO and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and agreed that the country should be exempted from the Jackson-Vanick amendment.
Russia has signed WTO protocols with all WTO members that wished to hold bilateral talks with it, excluding Georgia, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).