After this step, the country will begin a dialogue with 25 expert committees covering a wide range of public policy areas, as part of the technical review process, which will most likely last for several years. Argentina made its bid to join the OECD in 2016 during the presidency of Mauricio Macri, and six years later, the process of discussions with the country, as well as with Brazil, Peru, Bulgaria, Croatia, and Romania, began. The Government presented the memorandum for joining the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), a key step in its accession process to this group of countries that brings together the world's largest economies with democratic regimes. Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno presented Argentina's Initial Memorandum to the OECD Secretary-General, Mathias Cormann, during his visit to Buenos Aires. "This represents an important step towards accession," the international organization highlighted in a statement. "The accession process complements Argentina's ambitious program of economic reforms, contributing to strengthening the foundations for medium and long-term growth," the group's Secretary-General stated. In turn, the Argentine Foreign Ministry highlighted that the presentation of the memorandum "summarizes the technical work carried out by the various areas of the National Government to evaluate public policies, regulations, and national practices in relation to OECD standards." The document delivered by Quirno is a preliminary self-assessment by Argentina on the harmonization of its legislation, policies, and practices with OECD standards, and thus the "technical phase" will now begin. The OECD is currently composed of 38 countries.
