TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, November 4. Uzbekistan has completed bilateral negotiations with the US on joining the World Trade Organization, Special Representative of the President of Uzbekistan on WTO Issues Azizbek Urunov wrote on LinkedIn, Trend reports.
“Following 14 months of rigorous negotiations, I am pleased to announce the successful conclusion of bilateral discussions with the United States, marking the 21st country on our path to WTO entrance. The path has been eventful, characterized by challenging yet meaningful negotiations and a lifelong experience. Without the political will, backing, and supervision of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the Presidential Administration, and the Interagency Commission, this would scarcely occur,” he wrote.
He also thanked the USTR (United States Trade Representative), the ambassador of Uzbekistan in the US, and others for their constructive engagement.
The working group for Uzbekistan's entrance to the WTO was formed in 1994. The procedure was officially reinstated after the fourth meeting of the working group in July 2020. Four additional meetings of the working group occurred between 2022 and 2024.
Uzbekistan is gearing up to throw its hat in the ring for WTO membership before the 14th ministerial conference rolls around in Cameroon in 2026, according to Deputy Prime Minister Jamshid Khodjaev, who is at the helm of the country's delegation at the eighth meeting of the working group on Uzbekistan's bid to join the WTO.
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