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The debate is not about whether Latvia should be invited or not, it is about maintaining a certain regional balance between Latin America and the European Union in the OECD, explains the minister.

At the moment, the OECD must realize how far it is ready to expand. Officially and unofficially, Latvia has been told that it matches the organization's accession criteria, points out Rinkevics. The minister hopes that the OECD will be able to come up with a well-thought-out and justified decision by the end of May and Latvia will be part of it. The OECD Ministerial Council, which will decide on the organization's expansion, will convene on May 30.

Rinkevics also reminds that an official invitation to OECD membership talks does not mean immediately becoming the organization's member state. Many people do not realize that when a country receives an official invitation to OECD membership negotiations, it does not mean joining the organization the next morning. A couple of years are needed to discuss various nuances.

As reported, several OECD member states have admitted that, due to the country's active work, Latvia is among the most noticeable OECD candidates. The last time the OECD decided to expand was in 2007, when the bloc decided to draft accession roadmaps for Estonia, Israel, Russia and Slovenia. The remaining 49 countries, including Latvia, were not invited to accession talks.