May 18 (SeeNews) - Romania is ready to open talks to join the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), prime minister Sorin Grindeanu said on Thursday.
"Romania is ready to start accession negotiations with the OECD as soon as possible. The membership will be a reconfirmation of the economic progress our country has made and will help us make the public administration more efficient," Grindeanu said in during a live-streamed conference. "We strongly believe that this may happen soon."
Romania saw the biggest economic growth rate among European Union member states in the first quarter, both on a quarterly and on an annual basis, the EU's statistics office Eurostat said on Tuesday.
Romania's annual economic growth accelerated to 5.7% in the first quarter of 2017 from 4.8% the quarter before, according to flash data of the country's statistical board, INS. Quarter-on-quarter, the Romanian economy expanded by an adjusted 1.7% in January-March, speeding from a 1.5% growth rate in the preceding three-month period.
The prime minister also said that rather than relax, Romania should step up economic growth in a sustainable and responsible manner.
"We need to make vital reforms taking into account the best practices and standards, and the OECD is the well-known leader for global economic governance that we want to cooperate with," Grindeanu added.
In June 2016, Romania and OECD agreed on a cooperation programme aimed at securing Romania an invitation to be among the next countries to join the organisation.
Romania's accession to the OECD has been a major objective of Romania's foreign policy since 2004. The country formally applied for accession in April 2004 and November 2012 but its candidacy was not considered.
Romania's accession to the OECD is included in the 2017-2020 governance programme of the Social Democratic Party (PSD).
OECD, founded in 1960 to promote economic progress and world trade, has 35 member countries.