Source: Xinhua| 2018-05-26 06:04:17|Editor: yan

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BOGOTA, May 25 (Xinhua) -- Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos celebrated on Friday that Colombia had been admitted as a new member of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), stating this was due to the country promoting good business practices and stimulating investment.

"This is great news for our country. It (the OECD) is the most important organization to promote the best public policies in the world ... this is a very important step on the way to modernizing the country. We want to compare with the best to be able to be the best," he explained.

In a statement on Friday, OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurria said that "we are very pleased to welcome Colombia as a member of the OECD. Accession to our Organisation was set as a priority by President Santos when he assumed office and we are glad that the process could be completed during his mandate."

The statement said that Colombia had been subject to in-depth reviews by 23 OECD committees and had made major reforms in the areas of labour, the justice system, corporate governance of state-owned enterprises, anti-bribery, trade as well as new national policies on industrial chemicals and waste management.

Colombia becomes its 37th member, joining shortly after Lithuania which was granted membership in early May.

The OECD specializes in helping governments better understand how to drive economic, social and environmental change, while improving productivity, trade and investment.

"It opens up great possibilities to progress in healthcare, education, the fight against corruption and environmental protection. It has been 7 and a half year of intense work and I thank all those who worked so hard for this achievement to become a reality," added Santos.</s>BOGOTA (Reuters) - Colombia will next week formally join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, making it the only Latin American nation in the alliance, President Juan Manuel Santos said late on Friday.

Colombia will join as a “global partner”, Santos said, which means it will not necessarily have to take part in military action, and will be fully accredited in Brussels.

The 29-nation NATO alliance reached a partnership agreement with Colombia back in May 2017, just after peace was signed with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, an agreement that earned Santos a Nobel Peace Prize.

“Colombia benefits a lot from being an active part of the international community, many of the problems we face are increasingly global and need the support and collaboration of other countries for their solution,” Santos said in a televised address.

Other global partners include Afghanistan, Australia, Iraq, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mongolia, New Zealand and Pakistan.

The partnership with Colombia will cooperate on global security areas like cyber and maritime security, terrorism and links to organized crime, according to NATO’s website.

The announcement came just hours after the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) approved Colombia as a new member.

“Being part of the OECD and NATO improves the image of Colombia and allows us to have much more play on the international stage,” Santos said.</s>BOGOTA (Reuters) - Colombia will next week formally join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, making it the only Latin American nation in the alliance, President Juan Manuel Santos said late on Friday.

Colombia will join as a “global partner”, Santos said, which means it will not necessarily have to take part in military action, and will be fully accredited in Brussels.

The 29-nation NATO alliance reached a partnership agreement with Colombia back in May 2017, just after peace was signed with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, an agreement that earned Santos a Nobel Peace Prize.

“Colombia benefits a lot from being an active part of the international community, many of the problems we face are increasingly global and need the support and collaboration of other countries for their solution,” Santos said in a televised address.

Other global partners include Afghanistan, Australia, Iraq, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mongolia, New Zealand and Pakistan.

The partnership with Colombia will cooperate on global security areas like cyber and maritime security, terrorism and links to organized crime, according to NATO’s website.

The announcement came just hours after the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) approved Colombia as a new member.

“Being part of the OECD and NATO improves the image of Colombia and allows us to have much more play on the international stage,” Santos said.</s>BOGOTA, May 26 (Reuters) - Colombia will next week formally join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, making it the only Latin American nation in the alliance, President Juan Manuel Santos said late on Friday.

Colombia will join as a "global partner", Santos said, which means it will not necessarily have to take part in military action, and will be fully accredited in Brussels.

The 29-nation NATO alliance reached a partnership agreement with Colombia back in May 2017, just after peace was signed with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, an agreement that earned Santos a Nobel Peace Prize.

"Colombia benefits a lot from being an active part of the international community, many of the problems we face are increasingly global and need the support and collaboration of other countries for their solution," Santos said in a televised address.

Other global partners include Afghanistan, Australia, Iraq, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mongolia, New Zealand and Pakistan.

The partnership with Colombia will cooperate on global security areas like cyber and maritime security, terrorism and links to organized crime, according to NATO's website.

The announcement came just hours after the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) approved Colombia as a new member. "Being part of the OECD and NATO improves the image of Colombia and allows us to have much more play on the international stage," Santos said. (Reporting by Helen Murphy, editing by Louise Heavens)</s>BOGOTA (Reuters) - Colombia will next week formally join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, making it the only Latin American nation in the alliance, President Juan Manuel Santos said late on Friday.

Colombia will join as a “global partner”, Santos said, which means it will not necessarily have to take part in military action, and will be fully accredited in Brussels.

The 29-nation NATO alliance reached a partnership agreement with Colombia back in May 2017, just after peace was signed with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, an agreement that earned Santos a Nobel Peace Prize.

“Colombia benefits a lot from being an active part of the international community, many of the problems we face are increasingly global and need the support and collaboration of other countries for their solution,” Santos said in a televised address.

Other global partners include Afghanistan, Australia, Iraq, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mongolia, New Zealand and Pakistan.

The partnership with Colombia will cooperate on global security areas like cyber and maritime security, terrorism and links to organized crime, according to NATO’s website.

The announcement came just hours after the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) approved Colombia as a new member.

“Being part of the OECD and NATO improves the image of Colombia and allows us to have much more play on the international stage,” Santos said.</s>Countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) approved Friday the entry of Colombia as its 37th member, at the end of an application process that began five years ago.

The next step in the invitation to Colombia by ambassadors of the member states will be the signing on May 30 in Paris of an access agreement by Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos and OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurria of Mexico during the organization's meeting of ministers.</s>PARIS, May 25 (Reuters) - OECD countries officially invited Colombia to join the Paris-based economic policy forum, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development said on Friday.

The Latin American country will thus become the group's 37th member when it joins with Lithuania, which was previously invited to join at the OECD's annual ministerial council.

Founded after World War II to manage the U.S.-funded Marshall plan to rebuild Europe, the OECD has traditionally brought together mostly rich industrialised countries, but in recent years has sought to diversify its membership.

OECD members are expected to respect agreed standards on things ranging from fighting bribery, to export credit arrangements, and how capital flows are treated.

Member countries also get in-depth policy advice from the OECD's 2,500 staff of international civil servants in Paris.

The OECD invitation comes as Colombia, Latin America's largest-economy, prepares to go to the polls on Sunday in a vote to replace President Juan Manuel Santos. (Reporting by Leigh Thomas Editing by Mathieu Rosemain)</s>Colombia invited to join OECD; third Latin American member with Mexico and Chile

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) announced on Friday that Colombia would be officially invited to join the group. The Paris-based economic organization was founded in 1961 and has traditionally included industrialized nations, though in recent years it has extended its membership to emerging economies.

The accession of Colombia will contribute to our efforts to transform the OECD into a more diverse and inclusive institution, which will ensure our relevance in the years and decades ahead. OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurria said, welcoming the new addition.

Colombia began its application process in 2013. As part of the requirements, 23 OECD committees conducted an in-depth evaluation of the country. Additionally, the Colombian government had to introduce major reforms to align its legislation, policies and practices to OECD standards.

The OECD entry marks a new achievement for outgoing President Juan Manuel Santos, whose administration undertook the challenge during his first term in office. Santos celebrated the decision, saying that it represented great news for Colombia.

To enter this organization represents a very important step in the efforts to modernize our country, the Colombian president said.

We are comparing ourselves to the best to be the best, he added. Santos is set to fly to Paris on May 30 to sign the Accession Agreement at the upcoming meeting of the OECD ministerial council.

Colombia will become the 37th member of the OECD and the third Latin American country to do so, after Mexico and Chile. Costa Rica is currently undergoing its own accession process.

Once marred by political violence from drug trafficking and a leftist insurgency, Colombia has experienced a revival in recent years. In 2016, the country celebrated a landmark peace agreement that ended Latin America's longest-running conflict and has also experienced economic growth.

The OECD's reported that economic growth in Colombia is projected to rise to around three percent in 2018 and 2019. The organization pointed to reduced corporate taxation, the historic peace agreement, better financing conditions and new infrastructure projects, as positive steps the country is taking to boost the economy.

A testament to Colombia's comeback is the growth in its tourism industry. According to the US International Trade Administration, as of 2017, tourism has become a major economic engine for the South American nation, ranking above coffee export and below the oil sector. ITA predicts that Colombia will lead growth in tourism in the next decade.</s>The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has agreed to allow Colombia to become its third Latin American members.

The accession of Colombia to the OECD, an intergovernmental economic organization of mainly western economic powers, had been one of the wishes of outgoing President Juan Manuel Santos.

“Joining the OECD is a milestone in the process of modernization of Colombia,” said Santos in a speech after making the announcement.

The South American country’s membership was confirmed by OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurria.

“The accession of Colombia will contribute to our efforts to transform the OECD into a more diverse and inclusive institution, which will ensure our relevance in the years and decades ahead,” Gurria was quoted as saying by German news publication DW.

The United States, which initially objected the move, congratulated the latest member of the economic organization.

“Membership will bring benefits to the economy and people of Colombia, along with important responsibilities to level the playing field on trade and to enhance protections for investors,” the Department of State said in a press release.

According to Santos, “OECD membership generates confidence, confidence generates investment, investment generates jobs and work [creates] welfare.”

The president announced his intention to join the OECD in 2011. The government formally requested membership in 2013.

was last modified: by</s>Paris, May 24 - Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) chief Angel Gurria told the incoming Italian government Thursday "count on the OECD, work with the OECD, feel at your ease with the OECD". He said "allow us, please, to recall how much we have worked together with Italy and for Italy". Gurria added: "allow us, also, to show that working together can make every decision concrete and effective".
The OECD member countries admit Colombia as its 37th member.