23.02.09

The U.S.-Russia Business Council yesterday submitted its recommendations to the Obama Administration regarding U.S. policy toward Russia. In an effort to create a more productive and lasting partnership between the two countries, the USRBC’s recommendations focus on the development of the commercial relationship as a foundation for moving forward on the geopolitical agenda.

The Council’s recommendations include:

• The establishment of a bilateral commission to facilitate regular exchanges on commercial issues. Such an interagency commission, led at the highest levels of the U.S. and Russian governments, should have a strong private sector component.
• The revival of a commercial energy dialogue to promote shared objectives in energy security and efficiency.
• The Obama Administration’s support for the repeal of the Jackson-Vanik amendment for Russia. This would recognize actions taken by Russia more than a decade ago and would be a notable symbolic gesture of goodwill.  At the same time, the Obama Administration must make it clear that a good faith effort to repeal Jackson-Vanik for Russia will not compromise bilateral and multilateral objectives in negotiating Russia’s accession to the World Trade Organization on commercially meaningful terms.
• A focus on matters that advance the interests of both countries: support for economic diversification, rule of law, and even-handedness in regulation should guide the discussions.

Entire report is available at the USRBC website here (PDF).

About the U.S.-Russia Business Council (USRBC) The U.S.-Russia Business Council (USRBC) represents the interests of its 300 U.S. and Russian member companies, providing business development and government relations support in both Moscow and Washington. The USRBC contributes to the stability and development of a free market in Russia and supports Russia’s integration into the global economy. It also serves as the Secretariat for the Coalition for U.S.-Russia Trade. For more information, visit the USRBC online.

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