Timelines of Uzbekistan's accession to the World Trade Organization may take longer, beyond March, as some countries are delaying the review of their documents, stated the Presidential WTO Envoy and chief negotiator Azizbek Urunov said.
Replying to a question about whether the accession timeline could be extended beyond March, he stated:
"Yes, it could. When we discussed these concerns in December, we noted that some countries were delaying the review of our documents."
Urunov noted that if the decision depended solely on Uzbekistan, the country would be ready to join the organization as early as March.
"But, as I already said, this is not only up to us. However, eventually, we can only become a member of the organization based on their decision," he said.
Replyin to a question about whether it would be possible to expedite accession by fully adopting WTO rules without exceptions, Urunov emphasized that the country was already obligated to accept all of the organization's norms.
"We, of course, accept WTO rules. Without this, joining the organization is impossible."
He added that exceptions were part of the organization's system of agreements.
"Exceptions are an integral part of the WTO agreements. The organization includes developed countries, developing countries, and least developed countries. Each category has its own terms and conditions. Each WTO agreement has clearly defined rules that cannot be exceeded. If a country joins the WTO, it means it meets all mandatory requirements. Therefore, there are no 'indulgences' of which you speak."
Uzbekistan planned to complete its accession to the World Trade Organization by the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference, scheduled for March 2026. In December, Urunov warned of the risk of "unintentional slowdowns" in Uzbekistan's accession process. He stated that some members were sending questions that were causing Tashkent serious concern.
At the beginning of the year, the chief negotiator reported that Uzbekistan had adopted 30 legal acts and prepared nearly 30 more documents for WTO accession. Bilateral negotiations had been held with 33 of the organization's 34 members, with only Taiwan remaining.
