Romania’s interim Foreign Minister Emil Hurezeanu on Tuesday attended the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development Ministerial Meeting in Paris and met Secretary General of OECD, Mathias Cormann. During the meeting, he reviewed the latest developments in Romania’s accession to OECD and reiterated the country’s commitment to its successful completion in 2026, based on alignment with the organisation’s policies and practices.

„The head of the Romanian diplomacy welcomed the involvement of Secretary General Cormann in promoting the enlargement of the organisation and thanked for the support offered to Romania in the accession process,” according to the Romanian Foreign Ministry (MAE).

Hurezeanu gave remarks to a session dedicated to promoting inclusive economic growth in order to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, where ministers discussed public policy initiatives to support the green transition and the blue economy through rules-based trade, promoting an inclusive approach and the participation of SMEs.

„The message of the minister of foreign affairs focused on highlighting Romania’s contribution to OECD’s efforts for sustainable development and on highlighting some initiatives at national level, in the broader context of the commitment to joining OECD. In his speech, the Romanian minister mentioned the efficient alignment of investments and financing with sustainability goals, as well as the promotion of regional partnerships and cooperation as ways of implementing the 2030 Agenda. From the perspective of Romania’s contribution, he highlighted the establishment of the Investment and Development Bank as a way to strengthen investments aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals, the issuance by Romania of green bonds to finance sustainable projects, as well as the participation in cooperation projects in the Black Sea with partners in the field of blue economy.”

Chairing the OECD Ministerial Council Meeting were Costa Rica, Australia, Canada and Lithuania, as vice-presidents. The event brought together high-level representatives from the 38 OECD member states, candidate and partner countries, as well as international organisations.

This year’s edition themed ‘Leading the way towards resilient, inclusive and sustainable prosperity through rules-based trade, investment and innovation’ provided an opportunity to exchange best practices to identify ways to increase resilience and prosperity amidst challenges to international trade. Ministerial discussions addressed the impact of economic, climate and social risks, as well as emerging challenges and harnessing the digital economy.

The OECD Ministerial Council Meeting (MCM) is the most important annual event hosted by the organisation. It is attended by ministers of foreign affairs, economy, finance, trade or other members of the governments of the member states, the candidate countries, as well as the OECD’s partner countries and international organisations. The meeting provides an opportunity for ministers to discuss global socio-economic challenges and the organisation’s key role as a forum for dialogue in identifying common evidence-based responses. This year’s session is the fourth OECD ministerial council meeting attended by Romania as a candidate state, since opening accession talks in 2022.

AGERPRES