The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development today announced that it has invited five countries to membership talks, and it also offered enhanced engagement to other large countries.

OECD countries agreed to invite Chile, Estonia, Israel, Russia and Slovenia to open discussions for membership, and it offered enhanced engagement, with a view to possible membership, to Brazil, China, India, Indonesia and South Africa.

The OECD Council invites its Secretary-General to strengthen OECD co-operation with Brazil, China, India, Indonesia and South Africa noting that the council will determine whether to open discussions on membership in light of the willingness, preparedness and ability of these countries to adopt OECD practices, policies and standards.

The Secretary-General is also asked to set out the terms, conditions and process for the accession of each of the five countries it is considering for membership. Separately, the Council may raise issues of a political nature, which the Secretary-General will convey to the countries concerned in the context of the discussions on accession.

The Council also asked the Secretary-General to develop recommendations on how to expand the OECD’s relations with selected countries and regions of strategic interest to the OECD. Priority will be given to South East Asia with a view to identifying countries for possible membership.