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Roundup: Lithuania's OECD membership talks gather momentum

Xinhua, September 17, 2015 Adjust font size:

The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has begun its work on a committee level to prepare recommendations for Lithuania, Deputy Secretary-General of the OECD Mari Kiviniemi said here Thursday.

Lithuania's efforts and progress in negotiations to become a member of the OECD were discussed during the organization's high-level representative meetings with the Baltic country's leaders.

"I believe that the launch of the negotiating process will be a perfect catalyst for further reforms with the purpose of increasing Lithuania's competitiveness," Kiviniemi was quoted as saying by ELTA news agency.

In her words, negotiations on Lithuania's membership in the organization provide the country with a chance to advance reforms and take advantage of the OECD best practices.

"The invitation to open negotiations is an important acknowledgement of our people's achievements and recognition that Lithuania is a reliable and advanced country," Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite was quoted as saying in a statement released after the meeting.

"This is also a good impetus for our country to brace up and take measures to promote progress and the well-being of the people," she added.

According to Grybauskaite, the OECD membership would increase the confidence of international financial markets in Lithuania and enhance the country's attractiveness to foreign investors.

Lithuanian Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevicius noted during a meeting with Kiviniemi that the last round of negotiations is an important assessment of Lithuania's efforts, demonstrating Lithuania is seen as a reliable, economically developed and a stable country in the international arena.

"Membership of the OECD is in the interest of all Lithuanian people," Butkevicius was quoted as saying in a statement, adding OECD membership is a priority for the government.

"We are ready to move towards a fully-fledged membership of the organization," he stated.

Lithuania applied for OECD membership in 1996. It renewed its membership application in 2002 and 2012.

The country was officially invited to open accession talks with the OECD this June.

OECD brings together a total of 34 countries. Apart from Lithuania, accession talks have also been opened with Columbia, Latvia, Russia and Costa Rica. Endit