USA approves Uzbekistan’s WTO membership

Uzbekistan has successfully concluded bilateral negotiations with the United States for World Trade Organization (WTO) membership, as announced by Azizbek Urunov, the President’s special representative for WTO issues, on LinkedIn on November 3.

"Fourteen months of intense negotiations have reached their goal. It was a challenging journey, with complex yet meaningful discussions. This achievement reflects the dedication of our country's leadership to join the WTO, the efforts of presidential advisors to accelerate reforms, and the tireless work of our WTO team," Urunov shared.

Orunov expressed gratitude for the U.S. Trade Representative’s constructive involvement and acknowledged the contributions of Furkat Sidikov, Uzbekistan’s ambassador to Washington, and Oqil Ubaidullaev, the embassy's trade adviser.

The two countries are now preparing to sign a market access memorandum, making the US the 21st nation to conclude WTO negotiations with Uzbekistan.

In related diplomatic meetings, Uzbekistan’s WTO membership was highlighted when U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai met with Uzbekistan’s President, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, on June 11.

Furthermore, on September 30, Mirziyoyev hosted Antonella Bassani, the World Bank Vice President for Europe and Central Asia, to discuss further cooperation and reforms.