OECD head says Lithuania’s economy is stable but gives no date for accession

However, Angel Gurria did not say when Lithuania might join the organization.

“We do not have a date (when Lithuania could become an OECD member), because we believe that this is too important to be fast. The essence of the process is that it is about quality,” he said.

“Lithuania’s economy works well and it will work better in the future. It is open and, therefore, dependent on external factors. Basically, all of us are still experiencing the consequences of the financial crisis. How does this affect Lithuania? Lithuania is part of the world’s largest trade bloc,” he told BNS after meeting with President Dalia Grybauskaitė.

According to Gurria, the key factors that have an impact on Lithuania are economic trends in the EU, Russia and the world as a whole.

Lithuania applied for membership in the OECD back in 2002 and in June 2015 was officially invited to open accession talks. The country expects to join the organization in 2018 at the latest.