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Lithuania moves step closer to OECD membership: FM

Xinhua, December 9, 2016 Adjust font size:

Lithuania has joined the working group on combating bribery in international business transactions of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the country's foreign affairs minister Linas Linkevicius said on Thursday.

According to him, it is one of the most important steps towards full membership of the OECD.

"It is very important, it is good news and it is a very important achievement, one of the most important of accession elements," Linkevicius was quoted as saying by local media.

In his words, in order to join the working group, Lithuania's Ministry of Justice initiated certain law amendments which will ensure more effective fight against corruption.

Joining the working group allows Lithuania to ratify the OECD convention on combating bribery of foreign public officials in international business transactions. Without the ratification, Lithuania cannot be a full member of the OECD.

"I welcome Lithuania's progress towards membership in one of the most influential organizations in the world," Lithuania's acting Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevicius was quoted as saying in a statement released by the government.

Membership of the OECD is one of major priorities of Lithuania's government.

Lithuania applied for membership in this organization in 2002 and was invited to start the accession process in 2015. Lithuania aims to become an OECD member in 2018.

Made up of representatives from the signatory states to the convention, the working group meets four times per year in Paris and publishes all of its country monitoring reports online.

The OECD is an international economic organization of 35 member countries with most regarded as developed countries. Poland, Latvia and Estonia are already members of the OECD. Currently, apart from Lithuania, Colombia and Costa Rica are seeking their membership in the OECD. Enditem