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The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bogdan Aurescu, had talks in Paris, on Wednesday, with the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, whom he thanked for the support granted to Romania by the United States of America and personally by the Secretary of State, with the purpose of advancing the decision-making process regarding opening up negotiations for Romania's accession to OECD and for the positive signals in this sense expressed in the ministerial opening speech, according to a press release sent by MAE (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) to AGERPRES.
The head of the Romanian diplomacy participated on Tuesday and Wednesday to the annual reunion of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), which took place at its headquarters in Paris.
Taking place under the title "Shared Values: Building a Green and Inclusive Future", the works of the Ministerial Conference (MCM) of OECD of this year reunited delegates from member states, key-partner and aspiring to accession countries, as well as some organizations and international institutions, the source reads.
According to MAE, Minister Bogdan Aurescu also discussed with the Secretary General of OECD, Mathias Cormann, as well as his counterparts from Spain, Slovenia, Italy, Croatia, Estonia and Bulgaria, highlighting our country's firm commitment towards the objective of joining the OECD.
According to MAE, the participation of Minister Bogdan Aurescu in the ministerial conference works of OECD represented "an opportunity for actively promoting Romania's profile as a state that's firmly committed towards the objective of joining the OECD". During the interventions and work contacts, with the occasion of the Ministerial reunion, the Romanian Minister supported the necessity of making a decision, as quickly as possible, regarding opening negotiations for our country to join the organization.
In this context, during the first day of MCM OECD, the head of the Romanian diplomacy participated in the high level panel "The Blue Dot Network: Catalysing Quality Infrastructure Investment to "Build-Back-Better", opened by the OECD's General Secretary, Mathias Cormann, and by the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken.
Furthermore, Bogdan Aurescu took part in the official opening of the reunion and and the ceremony marking OECD's 60th anniversary, opportunity with which the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the Secretary General of OECD, Mathias Cormann and the Minister of Finance from Luxemburg, Pierre Gramegna, sent positive signals regarding expanding OECD and recognizing the commitment of the 6 aspiring states, Romania included, to this objective.
During the second day of MCM OECD, Minister Bogdan Aurescu took part in the work group regarding "Inclusive Growth: Opportunities for All by Levelling the Playing Field",
During his intervention to the debates within the session "Building An Inclusive Future", within the work group regarding "Inclusive Growth: Opportunities for All by Levelling the Playing Field", the head of the Romanian diplomacy appreciated the major role of OECD in configuring a resilient post-pandemic global green, digital and inclusive economy.
Furthermore, he highlighted the measures, actions and projects developed in the national plan or supported by Romania at the level of the European Union and in international formats, including OECD, which prove our country's attachment towards the principles and multilateral values promoted in both the European and global plans, with a key role in creating necessary conditions for having stable, predictable and non-discriminatory economic relations.
Thus, the Minister of Foreign Affairs presented Romania's efforts of elaborating "The Strategy regarding Romania's transition to a 2030 circular economy", the cooperation with OECD for growing competition in areas such as constructions, food processing, transportation and Romania's experience regarding minimum wage and gender equality.
