Uzbekistan is preparing to bring its companies to global markets. The country is one step away from joining the World Trade Organization.
President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has instructed the government to accelerate Uzbekistan’s accession to the World Trade Organization. He has called for the adoption of about 15 regulatory acts and updates to several key laws. Officials have also been told to finish talks with nine WTO member countries that Uzbekistan hasn’t negotiated with before, by the end of this year.
Uzbekistan entered the active phase of WTO accession in 2023. Since then, there have been four Working Group meetings, where experts addressed over 500 issues. Bilateral negotiations were held with 33 countries, and 24 of those have already been successfully concluded.
As part of the preparation, significant work has been done to align national legislation with WTO standards. This includes the adoption of 13 new laws, 10 presidential decrees and resolutions, 19 Cabinet resolutions, and 10 interdepartmental regulations. In a major shift, the exclusive rights of six state-owned enterprises have also been eliminated.
The WTO currently includes 166 member countries and governs about 98% of global trade. Uzbekistan’s membership application is still under review. Accession talks actually began in 1994, but were put on hold and only resumed in 2020.
Experts say WTO membership could significantly boost the country’s exports, unlocking nearly $6 billion in untapped potential. That includes $600 million each in clothing and fruit exports, and $400 million in cars and auto parts.
The World Bank estimates that joining the WTO could raise Uzbekistan’s GDP by 17% within 5 to 7 years, largely thanks to growth in the service sector. That’s especially important for a landlocked country like Uzbekistan, where service exports can make a big difference.
Historically, accession to the WTO is a lengthy process. China took 15 years, while Russia needed 18. The more complex a country's regulatory system, the longer it usually takes. But Uzbekistan is aiming to finish the process by the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference which scheduled for 2026 in Cameroon.
David Beckham, one of Britain's most celebrated soccer players, was knighted by King Charles at Windsor Castle on Tuesday, recognising his decades-lon...
A wheat-loaded train has traveled to Armenia through Azerbaijan, APA reports, following President Ilham Aliyev’s announcement in Kazakhstan about li...
The death toll from Typhoon Kalmaegi that hit the central Philippines on Tuesday has risen to 39 on the island of Cebu, a local government official sa...
Within the framework of the 'Year of the Constitution and Sovereignty,' and on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the Azerbaijani National Press...
Voters in New Jersey and Virginia will choose their next governors on Tuesday in two crucial races that will serve as an early indicator of how the Am...
David Beckham, one of Britain's most celebrated soccer players, was knighted by King Charles at Windsor Castle on Tuesday, recognising his decades-long contribution to sport and charitable causes.
The death toll from Typhoon Kalmaegi that hit the central Philippines on Tuesday has risen to 39 on the island of Cebu, a local government official said.
Voters in New Jersey and Virginia will choose their next governors on Tuesday in two crucial races that will serve as an early indicator of how the American electorate is responding to President Donald Trump's unprecedented nine months in office.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has announced a major acceleration in Türkiye’s defence ambitions, pledging to move forward rapidly with homegrown projects and strengthen cooperation with Europe.
Russia said on Monday that its troops had advanced in the eastern Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk, a transport and logistics hub that they have been trying to capture for over a year, but Ukraine said its forces were holding on.
At least 37 people have died and five are missing after devastating floods and landslides hit central Vietnam, officials said Monday, as a new typhoon threatens to worsen the disaster.
U.S. President Donald Trump said he does not believe the United States is going to war with Venezuela despite growing tensions, though he suggested President Nicolás Maduro’s time in power may be nearing its end.
A powerful earthquake measuring 6.3 struck near the northern Afghan city of Mazar-e Sharif early on Monday, leaving at least 20 people dead, hundreds injured, and causing significant damage to the city’s famed Blue Mosque, authorities said, warning that the death toll was expected to rise.
Tanzania's President Samia Suluhu Hassan vowed on Monday to move on from deadly protests set off by last week's disputed election as she was sworn into office for her first elected term.
A wheat-loaded train has traveled to Armenia through Azerbaijan, APA reports, following President Ilham Aliyev’s announcement in Kazakhstan about lifting all post-occupation restrictions on cargo transit to Armenia.
Within the framework of the 'Year of the Constitution and Sovereignty,' and on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the Azerbaijani National Press, the State Committee for Family, Women and Children Affairs has awarded the winners of its journalists’ competition.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has announced a major acceleration in Türkiye’s defence ambitions, pledging to move forward rapidly with homegrown projects and strengthen cooperation with Europe.
Israel’s top military legal officer Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, who resigned last week, has been arrested over the leak of a video showing soldiers brutally assaulting a Palestinian detainee at the Sde Teiman military prison.
AnewZ marks its first year on air. From the dust of an empty shell of a new building in the capital of Azerbaijan to a fully functioning newsroom, life began on the 4 November 2024.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment