Lantos calls for end to Jackson-Vanik

A U.S. Jewish lawmaker called for an end to the Jackson-Vanik Agreement. Speaking at a Moscow news conference Wednesday, Rep. Tom Lantos (D-Calif.) said the 1974 agreement was “a relic of the Cold War” and should be lifted. The Soviet-era amendment has restricted bilateral trade, and remains a source of tension between Moscow and Washington. It was imposed because of the Soviet Union’s emigration and human rights policies toward Jews.