Attended by the ministers of foreign affairs, finance, and economic cooperation of OECD member countries, partners, and representatives of international organisations, the two-day meeting was chaired by the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Maria Arancha González Laya.

The discussions were fully devoted to the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic under the heading The Path to Recovery: Strong, Resilient, Green and Inclusive. The contributions of all participants centred on a reflection on priorities at national and international levels to address the health, economic and social effects of the pandemic.

In his address, State Secretary Kajzer pointed to the added value that the exchange of information and experience can contribute to the effects of individual measures to mitigate the consequences of the crisis. He also outlined Slovenia’s experience so far and described effective measures that have already been adopted or are planned for adoption. In this context, Slovenia encourages the OECD to maintain support for its members by providing analyses and recommending measures in the areas of youth policies, public debt management after the crisis, the promotion of international trade as a central instrument for reconstruction, and development policies that are consistent with environmental protection objectives.  

Adherence to international cooperation and joint efforts to restore and consolidate societies and the international community in terms of greater resilience was confirmed by the adoption of a joint statement “A Strong, Resilient, Inclusive and Sustainable Recovery from COVID-19”.