Uzbekistan Reaffirms Plan to Join WTO in 2026

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) – Uzbekistan has reiterated its intention to finalize its entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO) by 2026. This declaration was made during the 13th session of the WTO Working Party dedicated to Uzbekistan's accession.

The Uzbek delegation, as reported by the WTO, comprised approximately 30 high-ranking government officials. Among them were Azizbek Urunov, the President's Special Representative for WTO Affairs and Chief Negotiator; Akhadbek Khaydarov, Deputy Minister of Economy and Finance; Akmal Kosimov, Deputy Minister of Agriculture; and Makhmud Istamov, Deputy Minister of Justice. Additionally, representatives from various ministries and government bodies participated in the meeting virtually from Tashkent.

Urunov reaffirmed the government's dedication to actively collaborating with WTO members. He stated that the accession process had advanced significantly since the previous Working Party meeting, evidenced by a reduction in inquiries from WTO members due to the systematic resolution of outstanding matters.

The chief negotiator also highlighted that since March of this year, Uzbekistan has harmonized 190 legal and regulatory instruments with WTO standards, primarily concerning sanitary and phytosanitary measures and food safety. The nation has established a unified Food Safety Committee and updated draft legislation pertaining to anti-dumping, countervailing, and safeguard measures.

Ambassador Song Yeocheol of the Republic of Korea, who chairs the Working Party, announced that 31 bilateral market access agreements, including a recently finalized agreement with India, have been submitted to the WTO Secretariat. She observed that the bilateral phase of negotiations was nearing completion and urged the remaining participants to conclude their discussions promptly.

WTO members acknowledged Uzbekistan's progress but noted that the adoption of certain legislative acts had been slower than anticipated. Concurrently, they commended the country's ongoing reforms, such as the privatization of state-owned enterprises and initiatives aimed at fostering a more transparent and predictable business environment.

The meeting also addressed topics including currency regulation, import policy, trade facilitation, investment and competition policy, technical barriers to trade, and further reforms of the public sector and agricultural support system. Several WTO members also suggested that Uzbekistan consider joining select WTO plurilateral initiatives post-accession.

Speaking on behalf of WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Deputy Director-General Xiangchen Zhang expressed gratitude to Uzbekistan and WTO members for their active involvement in the negotiations. He remarked that the short interval between Working Party meetings underscored the parties' resolve to expedite the accession process.

In closing the meeting, the Chair of the Working Party stated that completing the negotiations remains an attainable goal, provided that the remaining issues are resolved in a timely manner. Urunov, in turn, urged participants to concentrate on agreeing upon the outstanding commitments and successfully concluding Uzbekistan's accession process.

Uzbekistan initially applied to join the World Trade Organization in 1994 and has been engaged in the active phase of accession negotiations with WTO members since 2020.