Uzbekistan has taken another step toward joining the World Trade Organization (WTO) by signing accession protocols with Argentina, Australia, and Honduras.
These agreements mark significant progress in the country’s long-running bid for WTO membership, The Caspian Post reports, citing Uzbek media.
The announcement was made by Azizbek Urunov, the Special Representative of the President on WTO Affairs, in a LinkedIn post.
Uzbekistan signed bilateral market access protocols with Argentina, Australia and Honduras. Urunov described this as “a clear signal of growing support and partnership for Uzbekistan’s integration into the multilateral trading system.”
He also noted that “principal agreements” had been reached with two other WTO members, without disclosing further details.
“These agreements not only advance our accession talks but also create new channels for economic cooperation, diversification of trade, and stronger business ties with partners across different regions of the world. Each signature brings Uzbekistan closer to full WTO membership - a milestone that will unlock new opportunities for our economy, our region, and our trading partners globally,” Urunov wrote.
With the latest agreements, the total number of concluded protocols has reached 29, while negotiations with two more members are considered substantively agreed. Only three countries remain before the completion of all bilateral talks. “Countdown to three!” he added.
On 18 September, Saida Mirziyoyeva, head of the Presidential Administration, announced via her Telegram channel that she had met with WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
“We had an open discussion about the progressive reforms taking place in our country, the new challenges on the path to WTO accession, and the importance of trust and partnership,” she said.
Mirziyoyeva expressed gratitude to the WTO chief for her “leadership and support,” stressing that Uzbekistan remains committed to its reform agenda.
Earlier in May, it was reported that Uzbekistan had held bilateral market access negotiations with 33 countries, successfully concluding talks with 24 of them. The government set the goal of completing negotiations with the remaining nine countries by the end of this year.
At the end of May, Urunov announced the conclusion of talks with the United Kingdom, which became the 24th country to support Uzbekistan’s WTO accession. He said the relevant protocol would be signed during a working group meeting in Geneva on 12 June.
In July, Uzbekistan completed bilateral negotiations with Switzerland. Urunov noted at the time that “only a few countries” remained before full membership, without specifying the number.
