Uzbekistan and India have officially signed a Protocol on the Conclusion of Bilateral Market Access Negotiations as part of Tashkent’s accession process to the World Trade Organization (WTO).

The successful signing of the key document was announced by Azizbek Urunov, the Special Representative of the President of Uzbekistan on WTO Affairs. According to him, the principal economic agreements had been reached earlier, but the parties required additional time to conduct a detailed technical review and finalize the legal text of the agreement. Throughout the process, the Indian side demonstrated a constructive and supportive approach.

One of the original copies of the signed protocol will be promptly submitted by Uzbekistan to the WTO Secretariat. The document will become part of the consolidated package of materials required to complete the country’s integration into the global trading system. Uzbekistan plans to obtain full WTO membership by the end of the current year.

The completion of negotiations with a major economic player such as India significantly accelerates Uzbekistan’s WTO accession process. For businesses and the broader public, this means the potential opening of new trade corridors, simplified customs procedures, and expanded investment cooperation across the Central Asian region.

ORIENT