May 25, 2006	Thursday	Rabi-us-Sani 26, 1427

PARIS, May 24: Former Mexican finance minister Angel Gurria took the helm of the OECD on Wednesday as ministers concluded their talks at the organisation’s annual conference with an upbeat assessment of the world economy.

The new head, who will take office next week, already faces calls to oversee the enlargement the 30-strong membership of the organisation to include emerging giants Brazil, Russia, China and India.

In a speech on Wednesday, Gurria reiterated his belief that the influential OECD should expand its scope to remain “at the centre of the globalisation process.”

“In the pursuit of relevance, the question of non-members is key. How to engage them? How to expand the scope of the OECD so that it remains relevant in the years to come?” he said.

A statement at the close of two-day conference said that ministers from member countries had agreed that it was “essential to expand the OECD’s global reach and policy impact through an enlarged membership and enhanced engagement with important non-OECD economies”.

Ministers also said they expected “the buoyant pace of world growth witnessed over the past few years to be sustained in the near future.”—AFP