Undersecretary Tripodi attends the OECD Ministerial Council Meeting

The Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Maria Tripodi, acting on behalf of Minister Antonio Tajani, attended the OECD Ministerial Council Meeting in Paris today, speaking at the sessions dedicated to the strategic future of the Organisation and to strengthening an open, rules-based trading system.

"In view of an increasingly complex international landscape, it is essential to strengthen multilateral dialogue and the role of the OECD as a platform for cooperation and exchange between advanced and emerging economies," said the Undersecretary. Tripodi also emphasised the importance of the strengthened partnership between the OECD and Africa, in line with the priorities of the Mattei Plan, and reiterated Italy's support for the OECD Country Programme for Ukraine. In her speech, the Undersecretary then recalled how Italy has always supported the gradual expansion of OECD membership and the strengthening of cooperation with emerging economies, as a means of promoting shared standards, sustainable growth and greater economic integration at a global level.

During the session on international trade, Tripodi went on to emphasise the need to keep markets open, strengthen the multilateral system and tackle distortions that undermine competition. Referring to the latest OECD analyses, the Undersecretary emphasised that economies characterised by sound competition policies and predictable investment regimes are better able to absorb economic shocks and less vulnerable to distortions originating from abroad. "In the long term, the most effective solution remains a system based on open, competitive and predictable markets. Only through international cooperation, clear rules and open trade will it be possible to strengthen mutual trust and promote greater fairness and prosperity in the global economy," concluded the Undersecretary.