Russian and US Parliaments Vote for Abolition of Artificial Barriers to Trade Relations

A meeting of the 'Duma-Congress' Study Group took place yesterday in the Russian State Duma. As a Rosbalt correspondent reports, the meeting was devoted to the present state of and also future prospects for US-Russian economic cooperation. A declaration was made after the meeting 'about developing a US-Russia partnership in the areas of trade and energy.'

US congressmen called for an annulment of the Jackson-Vanik amendment and other restrictions discriminating against Russian manufacturers. Russian State Duma deputies agreed to try to speed up the approval of bills on the division of production and other standard acts aimed at creating a better investment climate in Russia. Furthermore, the two sides agreed to cooperate in oil-gas projects in Sakhalin and in the Timan-Pechora Region, which may become a source of extra energy supply to the US.

'We are interested in pushing forward these projects,' said Co-Chairman of the 'Duma-Congress' Study Group Curt Weldon. 'The US must try to minimize its dependency on Middle Eastern oil,' he said. In his opinion, the more Russia produces and supplies quality oil at a low price, the better it will be for the US. Mr Weldon said that participants in the meeting signed a letter to the presidents of the two countries in which they outlined their proposals for increasing Russian-US trade.