Uzbekistan aims to join WTO within a year

"The decision is firm, and 2026 is not far away," said the President’s Special Representative on WTO Affairs, Azizbek Urunov. The accession process is expected to be officially completed by the end of March 2026.

Photo: KUN.UZ

On February 18-19, the WTO General Council held a meeting in Geneva.

According to Azizbek Urunov, WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala highlighted that Timor-Leste and the Comoros Islands joined the organization in 2024. She proposed prioritizing the accession of Uzbekistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Ethiopia before the upcoming WTO summit, scheduled to take place in Cameroon from March 26-29, 2026.

A total of 26 WTO member states shared their views on Uzbekistan’s accession. Of these, 16 countries explicitly and firmly expressed their support.

Azizbek Urunov expressed gratitude to these countries and listed them: Argentina, Brazil, Botswana, China, India, Indonesia, South Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippines, South Africa, Türkiye, the United Kingdom, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan.

"The decision is firm, and 2026 is not far away," Urunov reiterated on his LinkedIn page.

According to the Dunyo news agency, during Urunov’s visit to London on February 20, the United Kingdom reaffirmed its full support for Uzbekistan’s WTO accession process. During the visit, discussions were held with Gareth Thomas, the UK's Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Services, Small Business and Exports, along with senior officials and experts from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.

"During the meetings, the UK emphasized that it considers Uzbekistan one of its key partners in Central Asia and is keen to further strengthen its comprehensive relations with Tashkent. The parties also discussed modern trends in international trade," the report stated.

Additionally, the UK, through an economic growth and development program supported by the World Bank, agreed to expand technical assistance for Uzbekistan’s WTO accession process. The program will focus on strengthening institutional capacity, enhancing expertise, and developing skills in international trade.

Uzbekistan’s progress toward WTO membership

Uzbekistan’s WTO accession process was stalled in 2005 but officially resumed in July 2020 with the fourth meeting of the working group. Subsequent meetings were held in June 2022, March 2023, November 2023, and May 2024.

At the May 2023 meeting, Uzbekistan officially announced its target accession timeline, aiming to become a WTO member before the 2026 Ministerial Conference in Cameroon.

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