The U.S. senator called for the repeal of the Jackson-Venick Amendment against Uzbekistan

The trade restrictions imposed against communist bloc countries in 1974 are still valid for a number of states. 
Chris Murphy, who has been serving as a junior senator from Connecticut since 2013, called on the U.S. Congress to repeal the Jackson-Venik Amendment, which was introduced to three Central Asian nations: Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan. Murphy said the amendment was preventing the United States from developing relations with Central Asian nations. 

"Unfortunately, an anachronistic law is in our way. In 1974, the U.S. passed the Jackson-Venik Amendment, which denied the U.S. the right to trade with states restricting the emigration rights of Soviet Jews and other minorities. This proved to be a useful tool in the Soviet Union, including Central Asia, to force the treatment of persecuted groups to improve. The Soviet Union has already exhausted itself, but this Sarge of the Cold War era continues to limit our relations with Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan," wrote Chris Murphy. 

He added that some Central Asian states were sunk in the 1970s not because of persecution, but because of inertia and neglect. 

"The United States has been on the edge for a long time at a time when there is a huge impact on countries such as Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan by neighboring Russia and China," he said. 

Regarding the potential benefits of deepening the United States ' involvement in the region, Murphy wrote: "in addition to its strategic location, Central Asia is rich in important resources such as hydrocarbons and rare minerals. The US is late in the race for minerals, but the Biden administration has taken serious measures to ensure safety and expand supply chains. With an annual gross domestic product of $ 280 billion, the development of permanent trade relations with these countries provides opportunities for the United States to expand business access to their markets, develop trade and investment, and grow. Central Asian countries can diversify their economy, create jobs and increase the standard of living of their population, while reducing their economic dependence on Russia and China." 

According to Murphy, the United States has the opportunity to reconsider its relations with Central Asia, and Congress must take advantage of the moment to advance its strategic and economic interests in the region. 

In February 2023, it was reported to the U.S. Congress that a bill could be introduced to end the use of the Jackson-Venik amendments in relation to Uzbekistan. It is not known what the fate of the project was. 

The Jackson-Vanik amendment () was an amendment to the U.S. Commerce Act in 1974 at the suggestion of Congressman Henry Jackson and Charles Venik. 

According to him, discriminatory tariffs and duties were imposed on mainly communist bloc states, which were grossly violating emigration and other types of human rights. From 2000-2012, Kyrgyzstan, Georgia, Ukraine, Armenia, Moldova and Russia were excluded from this restriction. 

The amendment has not been officially repealed and is currently applicable to a number of countries, including Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.