OECD Secretary-General Visiting Kazakhstan for AIF in May
ASTANA – Mathias Cormann, the Secretary-General of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), is set to visit Kazakhstan for the first time in May to take part in the Astana International Forum, as reported by the Kazakh Ministry of National Economy.
During a recent meeting on March 12 with William Thompson, the head of the Eurasia Division in the OECD Global Relations Secretariat, Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy Serik Zhumangarin emphasized the significant progress made by Kazakhstan in adopting OECD standards in various areas such as public administration, macroeconomic policy, investment, and competitiveness since 2008.
Key areas of collaboration between Kazakhstan and the OECD encompass macroeconomic stability, fiscal policy, economic diversification, investment attraction, digitization, and the development of an innovative ecosystem.
Zhumangarin highlighted the importance of the OECD’s support in terms of the country’s adherence to key legal instruments of the organization, including the Codes of Liberalisation of Capital Movements and Current Invisible Operations.
The parties also discussed the potential establishment of a regional OECD office in Astana. While Kazakhstan is the sole partner supporting the Eurasia Competitiveness Program aimed at promoting reforms in the region’s countries, a final decision on the establishment of the office will be contingent on the outcome of the OECD’s general strategy review.
Thompson mentioned plans to update the OECD-Kazakhstan Action Plan in the near future, which will outline the priorities for bilateral cooperation in the coming years. This visit by Mathias Cormann signifies a significant step in enhancing Kazakhstan’s partnership with the OECD and furthering the country’s economic development goals.
