Park calls for mutually beneficial partnership with OECD

South Korean President Park Geun-hye on Wednesday called on the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to work together to further expand a bilateral "mutually beneficial" partnership.

   During her meeting with OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurria, Park noted that South Korea's 1996 entry into the international organization has served as a crucial "stepping stone" to the country's economic advancement.

   Gurria, in turn, said that South Korea has emerged as a trustworthy partner for the OECD, as he noted that the Northeast Asian country has actively accepted his organization's policy proposals and international standards to achieve social and economic developments.

   Gurria was in Seoul to attend a seminar marking the 20th anniversary of South Korea's entry into the OECD.

   At their meeting in Seoul, Park and Gurria, in particular, shared the understanding that the two sides have the potential for bilateral cooperation in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and responding to climate change.

   The SDGs aim to end poverty, fight inequality and injustice and tackle climate change by 2030. The new goals were endorsed last year following a 15-year campaign to tackle poverty, disease and other global challenges under the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

   During the talks, Park also touched on the need for South Korea and the OECD to review the idea of introducing to Africa a series of environmentally friendly projects such as establishing eco-friendly energy towns and energy-self-sufficient islands. (Yonhap)