Baku, Azerbaijan, July 24
By Fakhri Vakilov-Trend:
The authorities of Uzbekistan have begun formal negotiations on accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO), Trend reports with reference to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan.
The Permanent Representative of Uzbekistan to the UN Office and other international organizations Ulugbek Lapasov met with Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Roberto Azevedo in Geneva on July 23, 2019.
During the meeting, an exchange of views on the prospects for bilateral cooperation between Uzbekistan and the WTO took place.
Azevedo received an updated Memorandum on Uzbekistan's foreign trade regime, which, according to the head of the organization, marks the beginning of the official negotiation process for the country’s accession to the WTO.
“Azavedo assured that representatives of the Secretariat will provide all necessary assistance to Uzbekistan in this process and support to the country for the success of the next meeting of the Working Group on Uzbekistan’s accession to the WTO in 2019,” read the message.
It was stressed that for the first time in 15 years, Uzbekistan has prepared an official document to be submitted to WTO member countries, which will be a good basis for the entire negotiation process.
At the end of November 2017, during a visit to South Korea, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev said that the country resumed work on accession to the WTO.
Uzbekistan received observer status in the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade in June 1994.
In 1998, a working inter-ministerial committee on accession to the WTO was formed. In subsequent years, this working group met only three times, and in the mid-2000s, its meetings with international experts were suspended.
---
Follow author on Twitter:@vakilovfaxri