US ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCES SUPPORT FOR BILL ON PERMANENT NORMAL TRADE RELATIONS WITH ARMENIA

PanARMENIAN.Net - The Bush Administration wishes the Congress to adopt the bill on establishing permanent normal trade relations with Armenia and called for the termination of the Jackson-Vanik Amendment with respect to RA, Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, Ambassador Elizabeth Jones stated when addressing the conference sponsored by leading Armenian organizations of America. "We want Armenia to benefit from WTO membership and we are working toward permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) with Armenia, which we will try to push through Congress," Ambassador Jones said. With a reminding that the Jackson-Vanik Amendment was adopted thirty years ago in order to apply trade sanctions against the republics of the former USSR with the purpose to encourage religious freedom and free immigration, Ambassador Jones noted that obviously there is no issue with Armenian compliance with that at present. To note, the US House of Representatives approved the bill on establishing permanent normal trade US-Armenia relations last November. As reported by Armenian National Committee, the adoption of the bill will allow to lower customs taxes on Armenian commodities and services, activate bilateral investments and let Armenian business benefit from the US governmental assistance programs on a permanent basis.