Prime Minister-designate Luca Niculescu, Romania's negotiator for the accession to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), said on Friday that Romania is 'very close' to joining the organisation, mentioning that there is still one 'small detail' to be resolved by a fully empowered Government.

He said that Romania's accession to the OECD is a project close to his heart.

'We are very close. (...) It is the club of developed countries around the world (...). First of all, there are currently 38 countries from several continents, Europe, North America, a few from South America, Australia and New Zealand, but it brings you more investment and, above all, better governance, it is the best school of governance in the world. More than 100 reforms have been carried out in Romania as part of this accession process. And, very importantly - and perhaps this was one of the reasons why President Nicusor Dan thought of me,' Niculescu said on Digi 24 private television station, when asked about the progress of Romania's accession to the OECD.

He pointed out that he had worked alongside the team at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE), with almost all political parties and all institutions in Romania.

'There are currently eight countries aspiring to join to the OECD, and Romania is the first among them to have, in practical terms, shown that it has completed the accession process. (...) Technically speaking, we are ready. (...) There is still one small detail that we need to resolve, and we will resolve it, if we have a Government, it will be somewhat simpler. (...) Some further efforts are still needed and we will make them with a fully empowered Government. (...) But what I want to say is that Romania can deliver when it wants to,' Luca Niculescu said.

He underscored that Romania's institutions and political parties had contributed to the process.

'Thus, out of eight countries, Romania is in first place, and this was made possible by Romania's institutions, which are not always given enough credit, and by Romania's political parties, because, quite honestly, if we had not had the support of all the politicians, all the prime ministers who have been in power over these four years, all the parties in the coalition and the Romanian Parliament, where there is a special committee which ensured that bills related to the OECD were passed, this would not have happened. (...) Looking at the glass half full, I would say that the parties understood what this was about, they realised it was a national project, just as accession to NATO was and accession to the European Union, they realised that this was a good thing, that it meant a great deal of good for Romania and for Romanians, and I believe that is why they supported us,' the Prime Minister-designate added. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Alina Novaceanu; EN - writing by: Rodica State)