Uzbekistan Concludes WTO Accession Talks with the EU and Panama

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Uzbekistan has concluded bilateral negotiations with the European Union on its accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO), the presidential press service reported.

In Brussels, at the headquarters of the European Council, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev met with European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The parties noted the successful completion of negotiations between Uzbekistan and the EU on the terms of the country’s accession to the WTO.

According to the European Commission, both sides finalized all issues related to market access for goods and services. The agreement formalizes Uzbekistan’s commitments on tariffs for goods and concessions in the services sector, which will be reflected in the country’s Protocol of Accession to the WTO.

Azizbek Urunov, the President’s Representative on WTO Affairs, stated that Uzbekistan had held negotiations with all 27 EU member states, covering export and import duties as well as conditions for providing services.

“This was a path that took more than two years of active negotiations, analysis, and joint work — marked by dedication, persistence, and cooperation. All of this has led to a mutually beneficial outcome,” he wrote on LinkedIn.

According to him, the European Union became the 31st party to conclude negotiations with Uzbekistan. A week earlier, a similar agreement had been reached with Panama. “It’s now official: 31 countries have completed negotiations, with only three remaining,” Urunov emphasized.