A high-level delegation from Uzbekistan, including Azizbek Urunov, the Representative of the President on the WTO and Chief Negotiator, Akhadbek Khaydarov, Deputy Minister of Economy and Finance, and Makhmud Istamov, Deputy Minister of Justice, participated in recent discussions regarding the country’s accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO). Additional officials and experts joined virtually from Tashkent.
Deputy Prime Minister Khodjaev reaffirmed Uzbekistan's aim to join the WTO at its 14th Ministerial Conference scheduled for March 2026. He requested support from WTO members and emphasized ongoing reforms to align Uzbekistan’s trade regime with international standards. Khodjaev highlighted progress since June in adjusting technical barriers to trade as well as sanitary and phytosanitary measures to meet WTO requirements.
He stated: "Uzbekistan has reached a decisive point. The substance of our reforms is maturing and the institutional foundations for a market-based, WTO-consistent economy are firmly being introduced. What remains is to bring our collective work to conclusion so that the benefits of these hard reforms can be fully felt by our citizens ..Together, let us ensure that Uzbekistan's accession stands as a tangible example of how the multilateral trading system continues to deliver for development, inclusion, and integration," he noted.
WTO members acknowledged Uzbekistan’s efforts to harmonize its economic policies with WTO rules. They used this meeting as an opportunity to further examine ongoing reforms such as privatization initiatives and competition policy. International organizations including the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and Asian Development Bank took part in related seminars organized by Uzbekistan on November 4.
Some member states noted that while significant steps have been taken towards compliance with WTO obligations, additional reforms are still needed before full membership can be achieved. The talks included review of a revised Draft Working Party Report outlining draft commitments by Uzbekistan. Members also congratulated Uzbekistan on concluding several bilateral negotiations recently.
Ambassador Sung-yo Choi (Republic of Korea), who chairs the Working Party on Accession since July, commended Uzbekistan for "its constructive engagement" and "steady progress", noting that the country is "getting closer to its finalization goal" of acceding to the WTO. Ambassador Choi also thanked WTO members for constructively engaging with Uzbekistan on both bilateral and multilateral negotiations.
Commending Uzbekistan for its "firm commitment to move the accession process forward quickly", Ambassador Choi noted that only a few bilateral negotiations remain open but are at an advanced stage. She said review of the Draft Working Party Report has clarified which issues are resolved or need more attention from Uzbek authorities: "the substantive discussions have allowed us to make further progress, especially in understanding what actions are required from Uzbekistan in the coming months."
She also acknowledged support from WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala who has helped maintain momentum through meetings with President Shavkat Mirziyoyev during September’s UN General Assembly in New York and with Saida Mirziyoyeva in Geneva.
In closing remarks, Ambassador Choi encouraged all parties “to focus on resolving outstanding issues,” stating that by year-end they will “collectively assess how to take our work forward” toward MC14 in 2026.
This was the eleventh meeting concerning Uzbekistan’s application for membership—a process initiated in 1994 but actively negotiated since 2020.
Further details about Uzbekistan's accession process and general information about WTO accessions are available online.