President. today I also wish to make a few comments on the legislative ramifications of waiving the JacksonVanik amendment. The JacksonVanik amendment was initially adopted in the brief earlier period when we all hoped a major thaw in the Cold War might be occurring. reflecting the sober view that economic concessions to the Soviets should be conditioned on measurable Soviet changes in behavior rather than just on Western wishful thinking. Although the legislative history of the JacksonVanik amendment puts it in the direct context of free emigration and the actions of Soviet authorities against Jewish citizens who sought to emigrate from the U.S.S.R.. Congress hoped that by linking human rights issues with trade concessions for Communist countries. including government credits and MFN [Most Favored Nation] status. such countries. and the Soviet Union in particular. would be induced to move toward a generally more civilized socioeconomic system. Thus. the question todayshould the United States consider waiving the JacksonVanik amendmentrequires us to ask whether its premise has been met.
Keywords matched
emigrate emigration