India, Uzbekistan Sign Key WTO Market Access Protocol

India and Uzbekistan have signed a protocol concluding bilateral market access negotiations, marking a significant milestone in Uzbekistan’s ongoing accession process to the World Trade Organization (WTO).

The development was announced by Uzbekistan’s WTO envoy and chief negotiator Azizbek Urunov, who said the substantive market access agreements with India had been finalised in 2024.

Urunov thanked India for its continued support towards Uzbekistan’s WTO integration and said the signed protocol will now be submitted to the WTO Secretariat for inclusion in Uzbekistan’s formal accession package.

Uzbekistan had initially aimed to complete its WTO accession ahead of the organisation’s 14th Ministerial Conference in March 2026, but the process remains pending.

The country is now targeting full WTO membership by the end of 2026, with the agreement with India representing a key step towards that goal.