LJUBLJANA, June 30 (Hina) - Slovenia, which is finishing negotiations on its admission to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), has been unpleasantly surprised by a move from Finland which has expressed
reservations regarding its membership at a mid-June meeting of the OECD working group monitoring the fight against corruption, the Slovenian media reported on Tuesday.
LJUBLJANA, June 30 (Hina) - Slovenia, which is finishing
negotiations on its admission to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and
Development (OECD), has been unpleasantly surprised by a move from Finland
which has expressed reservations regarding its membership at a mid-June meeting
of the OECD working group monitoring the fight against corruption, the
Slovenian media reported on Tuesday. The media described Finland's
reservations, expressed in a note presented at the group's meeting in Paris, as
a move that would delay Ljubljana's entry into the OECD.
Finland is reportedly dissatisfied with the cooperation of the
Slovenian judicial authorities with Finnish authorities investigating a
purchase of military vehicles from the Finnish Patria company.
The investigation was launched following reports that illegal kickbacks
were paid in this deal between the Slovenian government and the Finnish
company two years ago.
Slovenia applied for OECD membership in 1996 and the official
negotiations began in late 2007.
The 30-strong organisation was established in 1961.