Uzbekistan accelerates crucial reforms to finalize its WTO accession ahead of the 2026 Ministerial Conference

La determination of Uzbekistan To finalize its WTO accession negotiations, it received the recognition of the organization's members during the meeting held on November 5 and 6. Deputy Prime Minister Khodjaev led a high-level delegation that included key figures such as Azizbek Urunov, Representative of the President to the WTO and Chief Negotiator.

The country has achieved a significant progress since the last meeting of the Working Group in June, especially in the adaptation of their regimes of Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) and Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) to the rules of the WTO.

In his speech, Deputy Prime Minister Khodjaev emphasized the phase crucial where the process is, highlighting that the substantial reforms are already "maturing" and the institutional bases For a WTO-compatible market economy, they are being introduced with firmness.

"Uzbekistan has reached a decisive point. The foundations of our reforms are maturing, and the institutional basis for a WTO-compliant market economy is being firmly established. What remains is to bring our collective work to a close so that the benefits of these challenging reforms can be realized." fully perceived "For our citizens," Khodjaev said, emphasizing that the accession will be an example of how the multilateral trading system "continues to deliver for development, inclusion and integration."

WTO Members congratulated Uzbekistan on the steps taken and welcomed the opportunity to review ongoing reform efforts, particularly in areas such as privatization, the competition and the OTCs, during a technical seminar held on November 4 with the participation of International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank.

Despite the progress, some Members pointed to the need to additional reforms for full compliance of WTO rules. The discussions included a review of Working Group Reportwhich contains drafts of the country's commitments. Uzbekistan was also congratulated on the recent conclusion of several bilateral negotiations.

The president of Workgroup, the ambassador Sung-yo Choi (Republic of Korea)She praised Uzbekistan's "constructive engagement" and "steady progress," noting that the country is "getting closer to its ultimate goal." The ambassador emphasized that there are still few bilateral negotiations pending, all of them in a phase advanced.

The WTO leadership, including Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has provided high-level support to keep the momentum of process.

Finally, Ambassador Choi urged WTO Members and Uzbekistan to "focus on resolving outstanding issues." The Working Group is expected to collectively assess the status of the work. End of the year to determine the steps to take towards CM14 in 2026