Minister for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade Ian Borg held a meeting with the Secretary-General of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Mathias Cormann, at the OECD headquarters in Paris.
OECD Headquarters, Paris
The visit served as a crucial milestone in Malta’s journey to deepen its collaboration with the international organisation and fulfil its aspiration to become an OECD member.
In fact, Minister Borg communicated the Maltese Government’s decision to submit in the coming months an accession letter for consideration by the OECD Ministerial Council. He stated that the Maltese Government looks forward to start discussions on terms, conditions and process for Malta’s possible accession to OECD.
Minister Borg reaffirmed that Malta recognises and greatly values the OECD’s pivotal role in fostering international stability, development, and progress. Malta is steadfastly committed to the principles, values, and goals espoused by the OECD, including a strong commitment to transparency, accountability, and data sharing.
This meeting also underscores Malta’s unwavering dedication to meeting the criteria required to join the OECD, as outlined in the Government’s electoral manifesto. In this regard, the Minister also emphasised that although the road to accession will be challenging and entail adherence to various OECD instruments and codes, Malta is committed to increase the engagement with the OECD.
This sentiment was warmly welcomed by Secretary-General Cormann, stating that the OECD stood ready to share its expertise on the way ahead.
Minister Ian Borg noted that Malta’s accession to the OECD would contribute to an intriguing geographical diversity among its member nations. He stated that “As an advocate of Small Island Developing States (SIDS), Malta seeks to make a positive impact on global consensus. We are already doing this as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, and we hope that OECD membership will provide us with another platform to address the unique challenges faced by small island states and propose innovative solutions for more readily accepting global governance on a wide range of critical issues.”
“Malta is a nation that, despite being a member of the European Union, looks beyond its borders to engage in international regulatory matters. We have a well-established reputation as a balanced and highly respected actor on the global stage, with a proven history of advancing critical concerns, such as the climate action agenda and its connection to ocean governance,” stated Minister Borg.
Minister Borg’s visit follows a series of high-level engagements between Malta and the OECD over the past two years, which was initiated by the Prime Minister’s visit to OECD in November 2021.
Photos: MTIP
