EU backs Uzbekistan’s WTO bid as negotiations advance

Azizbek Urunov, the President’s Special Representative on WTO Affairs, shared the update via his LinkedIn account. This week, a delegation from Uzbekistan, including Deputy Minister of Economy and Finance Ahadbek Khaydarov, held bilateral talks with the EU in Brussels. Urunov described the discussions as “fruitful.”

“I am pleased to announce the completion of negotiations on the services sector. We still have work ahead on the goods sector, which we aim to finalize in the near future,” Urunov wrote. He added that the leadership of the EU’s Directorate-General for Trade (DG Trade) expressed “full support” for Uzbekistan’s goal of joining the WTO by the 14th Ministerial Conference, scheduled for next year.

In November 2024, Urunov noted that Uzbekistan still needed to conclude talks with a handful of countries, including Russia, the EU, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland.

Uzbekistan’s path to WTO membership

In April 2023, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev directed the government to expedite efforts toward securing WTO membership, emphasizing its importance for significantly boosting exports, particularly of finished goods. That summer, the role of Special Representative for WTO Affairs was established, alongside the creation of dedicated units in 20 government agencies to coordinate with the organization. Mirziyoyev also banned the adoption of regulations conflicting with WTO standards.

During his address at the 78th UN General Assembly session in September 2023, the president identified rapid WTO accession as a top priority. WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala agreed to accelerate the next meeting of the working group tasked with Uzbekistan’s application.

Uzbekistan aims to join the WTO before the 14th Ministerial Conference in Cameroon in 2026. At an open dialogue with businesses in August, Mirziyoyev called WTO membership an “integral part of reforms.” Mubin Mirzaev, First Deputy Head of the Tax Committee, stated that Uzbekistan would receive a 2- to 3-year transition period upon joining, with customs duties to be set based on agreements with other WTO members.

Economy and Finance Minister Jamshid Kuchkarov, speaking to the Oliy Majlis on November 27 about phasing out exporter incentives, described the WTO as “a generally fair trading system.” He stressed that local entrepreneurs must adapt to operating in an openly competitive environment.

In January, Saida Mirziyoyeva, a presidential aide, published a review of Uzbekistan’s WTO accession process. Over the course of 2024, the country completed bilateral negotiations with 15 nations, including the United States, China, and Japan, bringing the total number of signed agreements to 23.