U.S. V.P. BIDEN IN TALKS WITH RUSSIAN PRESIDENT MEDVEDEV

RUSSIAN SUMMIT

BACKDROP

CONSTANTINE PALACE

ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA

As it happens, this was not the venue for today's summit between Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and U.S. Vice-President Joseph Biden. They met at Medvedev's "country estate" outside Moscow. Vladimir Putin used the Constantine Palace as a backdrop for the G-8 "Family Photo" at the 2006 St. Petersburg summit.

But many of the issues are the same-old same-old; chief among them, Jackson-Vanik and Russia's (non-) entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO). Vice-President Biden told President Medvedev, the Washington Post reported, that he had been around Washington so long that he actually knew Senator Henry Jackson and Rep. Charles Vanik, authors of the 1974 law punishing the Soviet Union for restricting the emigration of Jews.

The Soviet Union was dissolved at the end of December, 1991.

(Former) Soviet Jews now make up a substantial (minority) fraction of Israel's population.

Jackson-Vanik is still in effect.

Biden said it was time to get rid of Jackson-Vanik, and to support Russia's entry into the WTO.

Dmitry Medvedev turned nine on September 14, 1974.