World Trade Organization (WTO)
WTO was created in 1995. The organization Headquarter locates in Geneva. Currently, 166 countries of the world are members of WTO. Moreover, 23 countries and some international organizations have observer status in WTO. The main goal of the WTO is to maximize the liberalization of international trade and to create solid foundations for it, thereby increasing economic development and improving people's living standards.
The main duty of organization is to regulate trade-economic relations among member states based on Agreements Act formulated by the result of Uruguay round negotiations on multilateral trade (1986-1994).
Azerbaijan and WTO, Bilateral and multilateral negotiations
The request reflecting the intention of the Republic of Azerbaijan to join the WTO was submitted to the WTO Secretariat in 1997, and on July 16, 1997, a Working Group was established at the WTO Secretariat for Azerbaijan. Multilateral negotiations regarding Azerbaijan's membership in the WTO are conducted within the framework of this Working Group. The first meeting of the Working Group was held in 2002 in Geneva.
On September 26, 2024, the 16th meeting of the Working Group for Azerbaijan was held at the WTO Secretariat, followed by an informal multilateral meeting on agriculture on September 27. Currently, relevant documents have been sent to the WTO Secretariat in preparation for the 17th meeting.
Republic of Azerbaijan is also conducting bilateral negotiations in the process of joining the WTO. During the negotiations, issues related to Azerbaijan's access to goods and services markets are being discussed, and necessary measures are taken to protect sectors of special importance.
As a result of the bilateral negotiations first bilateral protocol was signed with Turkey in 2007, with Oman and UAE in 2008, with Georgia in 2010, with Kyrgyz Republic in 2012, with Japan in 2024, with Honduras Republic in 2025 and with China and Dominican Republic in 2026.
Expert-level negotiations with Thailand have also been completed to date, and an agreement has been reached to sign bilateral protocol. The necessary domestic procedures for the signing are currently being carried out.
In addition, bilateral negotiations on goods and services were conducted with a number of countries at the WTO Secretariat on 6-10 July of 2026.
Bringing the national legislation into conformity with WTO requirements
The "Action Plan" approved by the Presidential Decree No. 1583 dated August 2, 2006, envisages the alignment of 39 normative-legal documents with WTO requirements. In this regard, the laws on "Plant Quarantine" and "Plant Protection" have been repealed, and 18 normative-legal documents have been adopted. Drafts of 10 documents have been prepared and coordinated with the relevant authorities. Additionally, the Law of the Republic of Azerbaijan on "Standardization," dated May 17, 2019, the Law on "Technical Regulation," dated September 30, 2019, and the Law on "Food Safety," dated May 5, 2022, have been adopted. The Competition Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan, approved by Law No. 1051-VIQ on December 8, 2023, has also been adopted. Furthermore, the preparation of 10 additional drafts is planned.
Activity of Commission on preparation of Azerbaijan's accession to WTO
The commission on preparation work of Azerbaijan's accession to WTO was created by the 22 August 2003 dated decree of Ministers Cabinet of Azerbaijan Republic to accelerate accession process to WTO. The new structure of the Commission was approved by decree of the Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan Republic dated June 28, 2019. The structure of commission consists of deputy ministers of relevant ministries, leaders of state committees and agencies.
By the decree of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan dated 28 January 2025, Mr. Mikayil Jabbarov, Minister of Economy of the Republic of Azerbaijan, was appointed as the new Chair of the Commission. To date, 12 meetings of the Commission have been held, with the most recent meeting taking place on 5th December 2025 with the participation of representatives of the Commission’s member institutions, as well as other relevant state authorities.
Enlightening the society
Special emphasis is placed on informing and educating the public about the WTO membership process. In this regard, roundtable discussions dedicated to the WTO have been organized with the participation of representatives from the Ministry of Economy and various state institutions. Brochures about the WTO have been printed and distributed to universities, libraries, businesspeople, and non-governmental organizations. Additionally, the website www.wto.az has been created, ensuring that the most essential information is regularly updated on the site.
As part of various projects aimed at raising awareness, international experts have conducted studies and seminars have been organized for entrepreneurs.
During the visit of the WTO Director-General to Azerbaijan on June 6, 2024, a scientific conference on WTO membership and international trade was held at the Azerbaijan State Economic University. The conference featured discussions on the subject with representatives from relevant state organizations, business entities, and academic institutions.
At the same time, a project titled “Support to the Government of Azerbaijan in WTO Accession Negotiations and Trade-Related Activities, as well as the Strengthening of the Quality Infrastructure and Digital Governance System” was launched in January 2026. The project primarily covers areas such as trade and investment, including the preparation of the position of the Republic of Azerbaijan within the framework of WTO accession negotiations; strengthening institutional capacity for the formulation and implementation of trade and investment policy; aligning trade-related legislation with WTO requirements and international best practices; as well as the development of the national quality infrastructure.
Analysis on the accession to the WTO
Azerbaijan's accession process to the WTO is regularly analyzed and the results are submitted to the relevant government agencies. Thus, within the framework of the EU-funded support project, analysis documents were prepared on the reforms carried out by a number of WTO members on their commitments. Recently, within the framework of the project covering 2021 which financed by the Asian Development Bank, a report was prepared namely “Impact Assessment of Azerbaijan’s Accession
to the WTO” and discussed with the participation of relevant government agencies.
In the meeting held on June 6, 2023, between the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the WTO Director-General, the issue of preparing an analysis document regarding the opportunities and challenges associated with Azerbaijan's WTO membership was part of the discussion. In July 2024, this analysis document was prepared and submitted by the experts of the WTO Secretariat.
