Uzbekistan advances WTO accession with legislative and market access steps
Uzbekistan's WTO accession negotiations, resumed in 2020, are advancing as the Working Party chair visits to push for final agreements on legislation and market access, backed by broad international support.
Uzbekistan has resumed its World Trade Organization accession negotiations after a 15-year pause, with the Working Party chair confirming broad member support during a November 2023 visit. The main task now is to convert this general backing into concrete agreements on outstanding legislative reforms and market access terms.
Ambassador Sung Yo Choi, chairman of the WTO Working Party on Uzbekistan’s accession, visited the country in November 2023. It was the first such visit since the process formally restarted in July 2020. During a press conference in Tashkent on November 3, he acknowledged the widespread support from WTO members for Uzbekistan's bid. He also met with Deputy Prime Minister Jamshid Khodjaev, Special Presidential Representative and Chief Negotiator Azizbek Urunov, and members of the Interagency Negotiating Team.
Working Party advances technical verification of accession schedule
The 13th meeting of the Working Party took place on July 27 and 28, 2023. Discussions focused on finalizing the remaining bilateral market access agreements. They also worked on preparing Uzbekistan's draft goods and services schedules for technical verification, a critical step before membership can be granted.
Legislative alignment and sectoral reforms drive progress
Ambassador Choi reviewed progress on outstanding legislation with First Deputy Minister of Justice Makhmud Istamov. He also held talks with Deputy Minister of Economy and Finance Akhadbek Khaydarov. These discussions covered agricultural sector reforms and financial support mechanisms for agriculture. They also addressed the regulation of the services sector and ways to facilitate trade in agricultural products, all key areas for aligning with WTO rules.
International partners support economic reform agenda
The November 3 meeting in Tashkent included discussions with representatives from the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund. The talks centered on Uzbekistan's broader economic reforms and how these institutions can support the WTO accession process. The parties reviewed reforms to improve the business and trade environment. They also discussed opportunities to expand international trade and economic ties, regional economic integration, and closer cooperation with other Central Asian countries.
Parliamentary backing accelerates legislative implementation
Ambassador Choi met with Sodiq Safoev, Rector and First Deputy Chairman of the Senate, at the University of World Economy and Diplomacy. Safoev expressed Parliament's strong support for WTO accession. He pledged to expedite the passage of relevant legislation needed to implement international trade standards into national law.
The Working Party chair summarized the challenge. "The main task now is to translate the existing general support into concrete agreements on the remaining issues," he said. The timing of the next formal Working Party meeting depends entirely on the progress achieved in resolving these outstanding matters.
