Peres, OECD present global economic initiative

President Shimon Peres and the secretary- general of the OECD have presented a plan to create an economic organization made up of global companies and world leaders that aims at increase investment in the Middle East.

“Israel has become an important contributor to the OECD’s work,” OECD Secretary- General Angel Gurria said.

“Its knowledge on key areas for the viability of our economies, like water management, clean-techs and entrepreneurship, is becoming a source of best practices.”

Peres met with Gurria on Friday at the organization’s headquarters in Paris and presented the initiative, which would join leading global companies and will assist in the progress and economic development of Middle Eastern countries.

“Israel will continue to share the knowledge it has gained in the fields of technology, renewable energy and agriculture and continue to lead, within the OECD, new international initiatives that will provide solutions for the Middle East and developing countries,” said Peres.

Peres said that the main problems in the Middle East are instability, terrorism and unemployment, and that the initiative will provide a solution for the issues of hunger and joblessness in the region. The new organization will provide a coordinating mechanism that, through the global companies, will put in place projects for economic investment and development, building of infrastructure and new technologies in the Middle East and developing countries.

The president stressed that Israel is an example of the fact that “the key to prosperity and economic independence is not natural resources but investment in technology and hi-tech.”

The two presented the initiative to the senior forum of the OECD, which includes hundreds of representatives of global companies and senior world leaders.