April 10, 2007 – Moscow – An American Jewish Committee leadership delegation concluded today a three-day visit to Moscow.

"We attach considerable importance to our relationship with the Russian Federation," said David A. Harris, AJC executive director.

"Russia plays a very significant role in international affairs and global security, which makes it all the more critical to engage in frequent and open dialogue with its decision-makers,” said Harris. “Our interlocutors expressed a desire to further strengthen ties with the United States, while mindful of some difference of views, and they were most interested in exchanging views on Iran, Arab-Israeli issues and strategies for combating all forms of racism and xenophobia."

Among the visit's highlights were meetings with Sergey Lavrov, Minister of Foreign Affairs; Igor Ivanov, Secretary of the National Security Council; Sergei Mironov, Chair of the Council of Federation of the Russian Federation; and Konstantin Kosachev, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Duma.

“Russia values the opportunity to develop and deepen the dialogue on international problems and on Russian-American relations taking into account the role that the American Jewish Committee plays,” said Foreign Minister Lavrov in a TASS news agency report.

In addition, the thirteen-member AJC delegation, including leaders of AJC's Women's Campaign Board, met with U.S. Ambassador William Burns and Israeli Ambassador Anna Azari, as well as representatives of the Russian Jewish community and civil society.

The agenda for the meetings with Russian officials focused principally on the challenge posed by Iran's quest for nuclear weapons and its continuing defiance of the international community, the search for Arab-Israeli peace against the backdrop of the Arab League Summit in Riyadh and the Saudi-brokered agreement between Hamas and Fatah, the state of bilateral relations between Russia and the U.S., and the global struggle against anti-Semitism.

In the course of the meetings, AJC reaffirmed its longstanding position in support of the "graduation" of Russia from the Jackson-Vanik Amendment. The amendment was enacted by the U.S. Congress in 1974 to link the granting of most-favored-nation trade status to Soviet emigration performance.

AJC has had extensive contact with Russia and its leaders, particularly in recent years. This is the second leadership mission to Russia in the past ten months and the fifth meeting with Foreign Minister Lavrov since January 2006.