Uzbekistan moves closer to WTO membership after signing agreements with EU and Ecuador

According to Azizbek Urunov, the President’s Special Representative for WTO Affairs, Uzbekistan signed a bilateral market access protocol with the European Union on December 15. Writing on LinkedIn, Urunov described the agreement as “an important step forward in Uzbekistan’s WTO accession process.”

A day earlier, Tashkent also signed a protocol concluding bilateral market access negotiations with Ecuador. Urunov noted that Ecuador is Uzbekistan’s second-largest trading partner in South America and emphasized that Quito’s support for Uzbekistan’s WTO accession is of “critical importance.” He added that the agreement provides a solid foundation for expanding trade and economic ties between Central and South America.

The developments come as the WTO General Council convened on December 16 to begin preparatory work for the organization’s 14th Ministerial Conference, scheduled to be held in Cameroon in 2026.

Uzbekistan has accelerated its WTO negotiations in recent months. In September, it signed bilateral market access protocols with Argentina, Australia, and Honduras, bringing the total number of concluded agreements to 29. Urunov has also reported reaching “principled agreements” with two additional WTO members.

By late October, Uzbekistan had fully concluded accession negotiations with the European Union and finalized talks with Panama. In early November, the country completed bilateral negotiations with Canada, Panama, and Ecuador.

According to Urunov, Uzbekistan now needs to reach final agreements with two remaining WTO members, Russia and Taiwan, to complete the bilateral phase of its accession process.