Jakarta. The number of countries that are backing Indonesia’s bid to the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) is growing. This time, the support is coming from Lithuania which has been part of the 38-membered group since 2018.

According to Lithuanian top diplomat Gabrielius Landsbergis, Vilnius will not only back Indonesia’s OECD candidacy, but it is also willing to share what it was like trying to secure a seat at the intergovernmental organization.

"Both of our countries believe in democratic, free market policies. Lithuania strongly supports [Indonesia's] bid for membership in the OECD," Landsbergis told reporters in Jakarta following a meeting with his Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi.

“We are ready to share our own recent accession experience,” Landsbergis said.

Lithuania became the 36th country to join the OECD. Vilnius submitted its official application to the OECD in 2002, with its government resuming the process in 2012. The OECD decided to open accession talks with Lithuania in 2015. 

The Lithuanian government said that the accession process had encouraged Vilnius to make reforms related to state-owned enterprises (SOEs), among others. This includes strengthening SOE boards’ independence.

Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan over the weekend met with the OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann in Osaka, Japan.  According to Zulkifli, other OECD members such as Japan and the UK have responded positively to Indonesia’s candidacy. Indonesia is currently in the process of reviewing OECD’s standards and guidelines that are relevant to its national regulations. Jakarta is also setting up a national committee to help with its membership bid.

“Being part of the OECD is expected to enhance the quality of Indonesia’s trade policies. The OECD will benefit from Indonesia’s membership as it represents the Global South and the emerging economy,” Zulkifli was quoted as saying in a recent press statement.

An OECD accession usually takes between four and eight years. However, Indonesia wants to join within 3.5 years. According to Chief Economic Affairs Minister Airlangga Hartarto, there are 200 standards that Indonesia has to meet before becoming an OECD member. Indonesia has been a key partner of the OECD since 2007 and is now aiming to be the third Asian country to join the group after South Korea and Japan.

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