WTO Chief: Uzbekistan’s Accession to the Organization Nearly Complete

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — World Trade Organization (WTO) Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala announced that Uzbekistan’s accession process to the organization is “practically complete.”

In an interview with the Uzbekiston 24 TV channel, she emphasized that all bilateral negotiations with WTO members have been concluded and expressed hope that Uzbekistan’s accession would be officially recognized by March 2026.

Okonjo-Iweala praised Uzbekistan’s progress on the path to WTO membership, noting that it is already reflected in the country’s economic performance.

“Significant progress has been achieved, and it is clearly visible in the economy. While the global economy is growing at around 3%, Uzbekistan’s economy is expanding at 6%, which is twice as fast. This is a very positive result,” she stated.

She noted that a Working Party meeting will be held in November, with plans to finalize all remaining procedures and officially mark Uzbekistan’s accession by March 2026. “We are moving forward with great determination,” Okonjo-Iweala said.

She expressed special gratitude to President Shavkat Mirziyoyev for his support of the negotiation process. “The team is doing highly effective work. All bilateral negotiations have now been completed,” she added.

In a post on X, Okonjo-Iweala highlighted that Uzbekistan’s accession to the WTO has been made possible thanks to the President’s strong political commitment to market reforms. “Thank you, Mr. President. We have made great progress — let’s continue to work hard together to deliver results for Uzbekistan!” she wrote.

Last week, Uzbekistan signed bilateral market access protocols with Argentina, Australia, and Honduras, bringing the total number of concluded agreements to 29.

Azizbek Urunov, Presidential Representative on WTO issues, reported that principle agreements had also been reached with two more countries, without disclosing details, while noting that positions with three states still need to be finalized.

Uzbekistan is thus entering the final stage of negotiations and preparing for its official accession to the World Trade Organization in the near future.