On behalf of the Government of Uzbekistan allow me to sincerely congratulate Switzerland, Kazakhstan and WTO Secretariat for the excellent organization of the 12th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (MC12).

For us WTO accession is an absolute priority and one of the main directions of the foreign economic policy.

We are living in a quite challenging time for multilateral trading system. In these difficult conditions WTO remains an important institution that stimulates economic growth and employment. In this regard the MC12 has a very crucial role in building up beneficial trade rules to all stakeholders.

In our view, issues that are being discussed within the current WTO Agenda have a critical significance to preserve and strengthen the multilateral trading system. Among such areas, we would like to highlight the Organisation's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, food crisis, elimination of fisheries subsidies and Agricultural reform.

We welcome the new initiative within the WTO on trade and environmental sustainability. Uzbekistan pays a special attention to overcoming consequences of the climate change, protecting the environment and biodiversity.

We are determined to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement and to double the energy efficiency of our economy by 2030, increase the share of renewable energy to 25% of the total generation.

Since 2017, under the Leadership of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan H.E. Shavkat Mirziyoyev we have launched comprehensive reforms towards creating and enabling market based economy.

Today we enforce the rule of law, fight corruption without compromise, encourage competition and categorically limit monopolies.

2022-2026 Development Strategy of New Uzbekistan initiated by the President clearly stipulates this political will.

Furthermore, creation of comfortable and attractive conditions for foreign investors became an important factor to ensure accelerated development of all sectors and regions of the country during post-pandemic recovery period.

In addition, I would like to emphasize that the ongoing reforms in Uzbekistan have gained an irreversible effect and the country will not deviate from its path of building a democratic society and a free market economy.

I would like to draw attention of WTO Members to the fact that since 2016 there were no new accessions by candidate countries to the Organization.

Moreover, due to the negative consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, the process of accession to WTO has become even more complicated and requires serious efforts from the applicant countries to satisfy the requests of Member States within the realities of current challenges.

In this regard, Uzbekistan fully supports the relevant Paragraph of the MC12 Outcome Document on accessions and urges distinguished WTO Members to be more flexible in matters of new accessions, and give special consideration to this effect.

As a Coordinator of the Informal Group of Acceding Countries (IGAG) at WTO, Uzbekistan will do its best to promote interests of other acceding states during upcoming meetings.

We consider the process of Uzbekistan's accession as an integral part of the ongoing reforms aimed at further integration of our country into the world economic relations and the multilateral trading system.

At the same time, we build on the belief that liberalization of access to the market of goods and services should not have a negative impact on sectors of the country's economy, primarily those that are at the stage of formation or modernization and have a good development potential.

Uzbekistan is interested in becoming a member of the WTO as a developing country and making its effective contribution to the further development of the multilateral trading system.

We are committed to continue our cooperation with Member States and the Secretariat of the WTO on implementing technical assistance programs. In this regard, we will be hosting next China Round Table on accessions in Samarkand with the support of the WTO Secretariat and Government of China later this year.

For the past two years, we have intensified our efforts to become a full-fledged member of WTO. In July 2020, despite the global pandemic and after 15-year break the 4th meeting of the Working Party on Uzbekistan's accession to the WTO was held.

We also held a number of bilateral negotiations on access to the market of goods and services with interested WTO members.

Right after the MC12 the next 5th meeting of the Working Party on accession to WTO will be held on 21 - 22 of June 2022. We are ambitious about our accession to the Organization and we intend to complete this process as quickly as possible.

In conclusion, I would like to thank Mr. Suleimenov and Director-General Dr. Okonjo-Iweala for all their work to produce a successful MC12.