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Uzbekistan has agreed with Russia on all essential issues related to the Central Asian republic’s accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO). To complete the process, it must now hold talks with Taiwan (Chinese Taipei — the name the territory uses when participating in international organizations), Azizbek Urunov, the president’s representative for WTO affairs, reported on LinkedIn.
According to Urunov, negotiations with the Russian delegation took place last week in Moscow. He described the meeting as productive, noting that only a few technical points still require final review and confirmation.
He also thanked his Russian counterparts for their clarity on key issues, as well as for their constructive engagement and support throughout the process.
Urunov suggested that the agreement between Uzbekistan and Russia is expected to be formally signed at the WTO General Council meeting in Geneva, scheduled for December of this year.
“Now, to complete the bilateral negotiations, only Chinese Taipei remains,” he wrote.
He added that he is currently in Washington, where he plans to meet with a Taiwanese delegation and secure its approval for Uzbekistan’s accession to the WTO.
On November 7, Urunov and his team successfully concluded negotiations with Canada and Panama. After that, according to the president’s representative, three countries remained.
It was later reported that Uzbekistan signed similar documents with Ecuador. Now, after aligning the main issues with Russia, the republic appears to be in the final stretch.
Uzbekistan submitted its application to join the WTO in 1994. Before the process was halted in October 2005 — following the events in Andijan — three meetings of the working group took place. The authorities continued to adjust national legislation to meet the organization’s requirements and resumed the accession process in 2017.
Uzbekistan aims to become a member of the WTO ahead of the 14th Ministerial Conference, which will take place in March 2026 in Cameroon.
The WTO is a global international body regulating trade rules among countries. Its agreements are based on contracts that guarantee members certain trade rights. Accession to the organization involves lowering trade barriers for foreign partners and reducing protectionism for domestic producers.
