Luca Niculescu, at a meeting of the Advisory Board of the OECD Centre in Istanbul

At a meeting on Friday of the Advisory Board of the OECD Centre in Istanbul, national coordinator of Romania's accession to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Luca Niculescu welcomed the extension of the centre's activity until 2029 and reiterated Romania's commitment to promoting OECD standards globally.According to Romania's Foreign Ministry (MAE), the meeting was attended by senior officials from the Government of Turkey and the OECD Secretariat, representatives of some OECD member and candidates state, as well as other partners of the OECD.This year's Advisory Board meeting addressed the activities carried out by the centre to date, including the first edition of the Emerging Markets Forum in April. At the same time, the meeting provided an opportunity to exchange views on the future strategic priorities of the centre. In this context, the centre's contribution to promoting OECD values at global level was highlighted, as well as to facilitating international cooperation and dialogue between regions, according to MAE.Niculescu, as a member of the Advisory Board of the Istanbul Centre, welcomed the activities carried out by the centre in 2025 and reconfirmed Romania's support for its future actions, including by sharing good practices and expertise in different areas.As for the strategic direction of the centre moving forward, the Romanian official highlighted the relevance of its orientation in areas such as combatting climate change, digital transformation, sourcing of critical mineral resources, increasing regional connectivity and promoting cooperation with the private sector in projects that benefit from official development assistance.The OECD Centre in Istanbul was established by the OECD Secretariat in partnership with the Turkish Government to support the OECD's regional programmes, as well as to promote the OECD standards and good practices in relation to the countries in the region.The centre's Advisory Board provides guidance on the centre's priorities. Romania has been a member of the Advisory Council since the establishment of the centre.In 2025, the centre's priority areas include climate change, promoting gender equality, supporting the business community, developing the private sector and entrepreneurial skills, increasing regional connectivity, investment, as well as critical mineral resources.