Finland’s OECD membership was a logical step in economic cooperation with market economy countries
Press release 15/2009
20.1.2009
“Finland’s membership in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) 40 years ago was a logical step in the strengthening of trade and economic relations between our country and the market economy countries,” Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Paavo Väyrynen said when opening the seminar celebrating the 40th anniversary of Finland’s accession to OECD on Tuesday 20 January. According to the Minister, by joining the organisation we wanted to enhance the image of Finland as a modern, highly industrialised Western market economy.
“Today, 40 years after our accession, we can justly say that the grounds for the membership and the goals we presented in the 1960s were both realistic and accurate in terms of timing and content”, the Minister added.
Väyrynen emphasised the meaning of OECD as a key forum for development cooperation, where donor countries and multilateral organisations assess the efficiency and impacts of development assistance. According to the Minister, Finland participates actively in OECD’s strategic work aimed to enhance the work of the organisation’s Development Assistance Committee (DAC).
“It is necessary to have new donor countries, such as China and Russia, join development cooperation. In order to achieve real success, the Development Assistance Committee must consider development from a comprehensive and wide-ranging perspective”, the Minister underscored.
In his address, Väyrynen also repeated Finland’s support for the enlargement of the OECD. At the moment, accession negotiations are in progress with Russia, Estonia, Slovenia, Israel and Chile.
In the Finnish government, Minister Väyrynen is responsible for the coordination of OECD affairs.
Additional information: Head of Unit Ilkka-Pekka Similä, tel. +358 40 356 3783, and Advisor to the Minister Päivi Nevala, tel. +358 40 753 4375