PM Shmygal expects Ukraine to become OECD member soon

MOSCOW. Oct 5 (Interfax) -The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is considering Ukraine as a potential member of the organization, Prime Minister Denis Shmygal said.

"In July of this year, I handed Ukraine's application for membership to OECD Secretary General Mathias Cormann in Lugano. Last week, he spoke online at the opening of the OECD Council session, where the application was considered. Mr. Cormann said today that the Organization is launching an initial dialogue on Ukraine's accession," Shmygal said on social media on Wednesday, according to Ukrainian media reports.

Following this, the OECD Council will proceed to discussions and elaboration of a draft roadmap. Ukraine is also working on opening an OECD office in the country as soon as possible, the prime minister noted.

"What will Ukraine's accession to the OECD bring? The organization is the so-called club of successful countries, which accounts for over 62% of the global GDP. Ukraine's admission to the group of highly developed countries is an important marker of our country's readiness to join the European Union and a signal to foreign companies that Ukraine is a promising place for investment and business development," Shmygal said.