Azizbek Urunov, Special Representative of the President of Uzbekistan on World Trade Organization (WTO) Issues, and Tatiana Molcean, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), have officially co-signed Uzbekistan’s National Trade Facilitation Roadmap. Developed with the support of UNECE, this strategic framework is designed to drive trade facilitation reforms in Uzbekistan over the next five years.
The roadmap outlines key measures aimed at transforming Uzbekistan’s trade landscape, including implementing WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement measures to streamline customs and trade procedures. It also focuses on advancing digitalization by fully adopting digital documents for imports and exports, enhancing efficiency, and boosting Uzbekistan’s position as a global logistics and transit hub.
As a double landlocked country, Uzbekistan faces unique challenges in accessing global markets. However, the roadmap aims to reduce trade costs, streamline procedures, and improve connectivity through the adoption of UNECE tools and UN/CEFACT standards.
Azizbek Urunov expressed his gratitude for the collaborative effort that led to this significant achievement.
"With the signing of the National Trade Facilitation Roadmap, I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank Madam Tatiana Molcean and her dedicated team for their unwavering support and commitment throughout this project. Our mutual collaboration has been instrumental in creating a framework that will strengthen Uzbekistan’s trade facilitation efforts and accelerate its integration into the global economy," Urunov wrote on LinkedIn.
The roadmap is also an important step towards Uzbekistan’s goal of WTO accession by 2026, marking not just a milestone, but a long-term vision for sustainable growth and global economic integration.
Uzbekistan resumed its WTO accession process in 2020, after it had stalled following the formation of its initial working group in 1998. The drive for quicker progress gained momentum in 2023 when President Shavkat Mirziyoyev instructed officials to accelerate the process, focusing on enhancing the country's export potential, particularly for finished goods.
Earlier, Uzbekistan has signed market access protocols with 18 countries, including Brazil and Sri Lanka. The recent negotiations with the U.S., finalized in early November, marked the 21st country to support Uzbekistan's WTO membership bid. Following that, Uzbekistan concluded talks with China.
Additionally, on December 1, Uzbekistan completed negotiations with the Philippines to join the World Trade Organization (WTO), with Azizbek Urunov, Special Representative of the President for the WTO, and Tihankee Manuel, Ambassador of the Philippines to the WTO, signing the protocol in Geneva, attended by WTO Deputy Director-General Zhang Xiangchen.
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