OECD AIMS TO BE MORE GLOBAL, SAID SECRETARY-GENERAL ANGEL GURRIA

Paris, December 3- The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is transforming from a club of advanced countries to a more global body, according to its chief.

"It has been happening since 2007 when this mandate began for so-called enhanced engagement with a view to possible membership," OCED Secretary-General Angel Gurria told Xinhua in a recent interview.

The program engages five major economies: India, China, South Africa, Brazil and Indonesia. However, Gurria says the issues the OECD is addressing during upcoming meetings for its 50th celebration of establishment cater for a larger group beyond members.

"We have to continue to be relevant to our member countries, but also to an increased number of non-member countries which we need to bring in and work with," he said.

Gurria said enlarging the group was a necessity to keep OECD active in a multi-polar world. New members included Chile, Israel, Estonia and Slovenia.

"Because without them, we cannot address global issues... we cannot say we are global without these countries," he said.

Russia on the way, closer with China

Gurria expected the OECD would embrace Russia "sometime in the future," but did not set any specific timetable.

"Russia still has to join the World Trade Organization before they join the OECD. But even after they join the WTO it is going to be a process which will take some time because the complexity of joining the OECD is much greater than joining the WTO," he said.

Gurria said the OECD function units were eagerly waiting to talk with Russia on various areas.

"Because it is a big country, then it will take a little longer but we are not on the side of speed but on the side of high quality accession process," he said.

And Gurria said global cooperation could not be discussed comprehensively without mentioning China, which, along with India, continued to grow quickly and had helped the world out of the recession.

Based on already "very active" relations with China, Gurria sees China as "one of the very close cousins" of the organization.

The OECD chief stressed the need to intensify cooperation with China, adding member countries have urged him to "go and work with Brazil, China, India and South Africa" and "incorporate China every time you can into the work with OECD”.

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