12:43 - 12.11.2025

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November 12, Fineko/abc.az. Uzbekistan considers joining the World Trade Organization (WTO) as an important step to expand the access of its enterprises to foreign markets and strengthen economic connectivity, including with Azerbaijan.

ABC.AZ reports that Timur Khusanov, Director of the Department for Analytical Support and Coordination of State Policy in the field of small and medium-sized business development at the Ministry of Economy & Finance of Uzbekistan, made the relevant statement during the presentation of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) report "Monitoring of small and medium-sized enterprises in Asia 2025" (Asia SME Monitor 2025) in Baku.

According to Khusanov, the main factor in the rapid growth of small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) in Uzbekistan is a steady increase in GDP at about 6% per year, which creates a solid foundation for the development of entrepreneurship.

"This is good infrastructure that ensures the sustainability of our economy. However, connectivity is extremely important for Uzbekistan - the development of road maps, railways and highways, including in cooperation with Azerbaijan. This is a key area, and our main task as the Ministry of Economy is to create a high-quality infrastructure for business," Khusanov emphasized.

Uzbekistan has completed WTO accession negotiations with countries such as the U.S., China, and the UK.

In May 2025, Deputy Prime Minister Jamshid Khojaev announced that Uzbekistan intends to join the WTO before the 14th Ministerial Conference to be held in Cameroon in March 2026.