Uzbekistan’s actions to join the WTO are assessed positively
Tashkent hosted a conference on “Economic reforms in Uzbekistan and the process of accession to the World Trade Organization”. The country’s government organized the event with the support of the World Trade Organization, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund.
The conference, held as part of the official visit to Uzbekistan by the Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, is an essential stage in the process of Uzbekistan’s accession to the WTO.
The results of economic reforms implemented in the country over the past seven years, plans to accelerate development in this direction until 2030, as well as the process of accession to the WTO were discussed.
Assistant to the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Saida Mirziyoyeva, Director-General of the World Trade Organization, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, and Deputy Prime Minister of Uzbekistan Jamshid Khojayev addressed the event.
As Saida Mirziyoyeva noted in her speech, “President Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed a decree abolishing the exclusive economic rights of several state-owned enterprises, as this long-standing problem limited the ability of most state-owned enterprises to transition to a market economy and create equal opportunities for the private sector”.
The Assistant to the President also confirmed Uzbekistan’s determination to become a member of the WTO and listed the steps that need to be taken to achieve this goal:
“Our main goal is to become one of the countries with the upper-middle income”, Saida Mirziyoyeva said. “This implies increasing the population’s well-being through sustainable economic growth. By 2030, we intend to double the country’s GDP and reduce poverty to 7 percent”.
The WTO Director-General noted Uzbekistan’s significant efforts to improve the economic environment and expressed confidence that membership in the organization will be an essential step towards the country’s integration into the world economy.
It was recognized that Uzbekistan is achieving certain results in harmonizing economic reforms and national legislation with WTO rules. In recent years, Uzbekistan has adopted 30 regulatory documents based on WTO agreements and completed bilateral negotiations with 14 countries. These reforms aim to improve the well-being of the population by integrating the country into the global value chain, expanding the foreign market, and increasing the competitiveness of the economy. WTO membership will also help improve international trade relations.
Panel sessions were also held as part of the conference. The meetings were attended by parliament members, heads of ministries, agencies, representatives of international organizations, and the diplomatic corps.
During the conference, experts emphasized the importance of the decree signed by the Head of state on June 3, 2024. This document, as a continuation of systemic reforms being implemented in the country, will help accelerate the process of accession to the WTO.
The conference demonstrates Uzbekistan’s determination to become a member of the World Trade Organization and adhere to international WTO standards.
Guzal Sattorova, UzA
