OECD Istanbul Center set to open Friday

By Merve Ozlem Cakir

ANKARA (AA) - A center for Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in Istanbul, Tukey is set to be opened Friday with high-profile figures in attendance.

The virtual opening ceremony will be attended by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, as well as the country's Trade Minister Ruhsar Pekcan, OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurria, and top officials from several countries.

The center will host high-level and technical meetings and provide an environment for dialogue, according to a statement issued by the Turkish Trade Ministry on Thursday.

It will focus on competitiveness, entrepreneurship, trade, public governance, innovation, mobilization of human capital, development of connectivity and infrastructure, increasing economic resilience and green growth, and the future and reconstruction of the world economy after the COVID-19 pandemic.

The center will not only serve Turkey, but also the Balkans, Middle East, North Africa and Eurasia.

Based in Paris, the OECD has four regional centers in Berlin, Mexico, Tokyo and Washington. The Istanbul office will be the fifth regional center of the organization.

*Writing by Gokhan Ergocun from Istanbul