The Director-General emphasized the importance of political commitment to implement lasting economic reforms and successfully join the World Trade Organization (WTO). She highlighted Ethiopia's economic initiatives driven by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali's "Home-Grown Economic Reform Programme," which is designed to transform the economy and boost private sector growth. The reforms have also helped Ethiopia to leverage its membership in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Uzbekistan's reform program has been bolstered by President Mirziyoyev's ongoing support, according to DG Okonjo-Iweala. She noted key presidential decrees focused on reducing exclusive rights in certain sectors and other areas of concern to WTO members. A Presidential Decree in March replaced export restrictions with export duties to promote a predictable and transparent export regime.
The Director-General also expressed gratitude to WTO members and multilateral institutions, such as the IMF and World Bank, for their contributions in strengthening institutional capacity and training acceding governments. The interest of large economies like Ethiopia and Uzbekistan in joining the WTO highlights the organization's importance and the stability offered by the multilateral trading system.
Representatives from the World Bank and IMF showed support for Ethiopia's and Uzbekistan's domestic reforms and their aspirations to join the WTO.
Antonella Bassani, World Bank Vice President for Europe and Central Asia, remarked on Uzbekistan's status as a top reformer globally, with over 200 domestic legal reforms since 2020. She anticipates Uzbekistan is nearing the conclusion of WTO membership negotiations. WTO accession is considered vital for emerging and developing economies, and the World Bank remains committed to supporting the process.
Amit Dar, World Bank Acting Vice President for the Eastern and Southern Africa Region, pointed out Ethiopia's reform efforts, while acknowledging remaining challenges related to state-owned enterprises, competition, intellectual property rights, trade facilitation, and subsidies. The World Bank is dedicated to providing technical assistance and resources to aid Ethiopia in achieving its WTO membership objectives and deepening its market integration globally.
Kenneth Kang, Deputy Director of the Strategy, Policy, and Review Department of the IMF, underlined the significance of structural reforms for creating a stable trade policy environment and the necessity of sound macroeconomic management. He praised the progress of both nations and noted a joint study by IMF and WTO staff showing that economies making deeper commitments during their accession processes experienced 1.5 percentage points faster growth on average.
Representatives from Ethiopia and Uzbekistan reaffirmed their commitment to conclude accession negotiations by MC14, scheduled for March 2026 in Cameroon.
Ethiopia's State Minister for Finance, Eyob Tekalgn, stated that WTO accession is essential for advancing economic reforms, with the AfCFTA membership further supporting the reform program. He emphasized the importance of financial support for capacity building, particularly in terms of negotiations and reform implementation, to align legislation with WTO rules. Ethiopia is actively working on completing bilateral market access negotiations.
Uzbekistan's Chief Negotiator, Azizbek Urunov, outlined recent efforts, including aligning food and product safety regulations with WTO agreements and harmonizing nearly 120 legal acts. Uzbekistan also aims to increase the private sector's share in the economy to 85 percent by 2030 through ongoing privatization efforts.
Both Ethiopia and Uzbekistan are prepared to undertake the necessary measures to finalize their reform programs and gain WTO membership.
Ethiopia's 5th Working Party meeting took place on March 19, 2025, and more details on its accession are available. Uzbekistan's 9th Working Party meeting occurred on December 5 and 6, 2024, with additional information accessible.