Jakarta – Minister of Defense Prabowo Subianto welcomed a visit from the Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto and the Secretary-General of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Mathias Cormann in Jakarta.

One of the main topics discussed in the meeting was related to Indonesia’s full membership process in the OECD, following Cormann’s earlier visit to President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) at the Presidential Palace in Bogor, West Java, on Tuesday (28/5) afternoon.

“How are you,” greeted Prabowo as he welcomed Cormann along with Airlangga.

“Very well, pleased to meet you,” responded Cormann.

Indonesia is currently in the candidacy stage for OECD membership, known as accession. In this process, Indonesia must submit an initial memorandum to meet the standards and requirements for official OECD membership.

Indonesia’s step towards OECD membership is historic, as it is the first country from Southeast Asia to become an OECD membership candidate. So far, 38 countries have supported Indonesia’s entry into the OECD.

The OECD is an international organization that promotes policy coordination and economic freedom among developed countries. Originally, it was named the Organisation for European Economic Co-operation (OEEC), established in 1948 to monitor the contributions from the USA and Canada.

Later, the OECD was formed in 1961 and includes countries such as the United States; countries in Western Europe, Japan, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Since then, the OECD’s headquarters have been located in Paris, France.

OECD membership expanded in the 1990s with the inclusion of Mexico, South Korea, and Eastern European countries. In recent years, India, Brazil, the People’s Republic of China (PRC), and India have also supported the OECD’s agenda.

The vision and mission of the OECD itself are to promote policies that will improve the economic and social welfare of people in developed countries. Consequently, the main goals of the OECD are to enhance the global economy and promote world trade, providing a platform for governments from various countries to collaborate and seek solutions.