Ukraine, OECD sign 4-year reconstruction, reform agreement

Kyiv and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) signed a four-year partnership agreement to support reform, recovery, and reconstruction in Ukraine, the OECD announced on June 7.

The Ukraine Country Program agreement was signed in Paris by OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann and in Kyiv by Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.

"The Country Program we have signed today has been developed in close co-operation with, and reflects the priorities of, the government of Ukraine with its focus on stronger institutions and governance, continuing the fight against corruption, attracting private sector investment, and laying the foundations for long-term well-being and opportunities for its people," Cormann said.

The current program will build on the past OECD work on Ukraine's energy and agricultural sectors.

According to Cormann, this agreement should move Ukraine closer to the OECD's standards and ultimately support Ukraine's accession to the EU.

The implementation of the Ukraine Country Program will be coordinated by the OECD-Ukraine Liaison Office, which opened in Kyiv earlier this year.

Ukraine submitted a membership application to the OECD on July 5, 2022.

The international organization is composed of 38 countries in Europe, the Americas, and elsewhere, and declares commitment to democracy and a market economy.