Czech Republic Secures Chairmanship of OECD Council for Upcoming Term

The Czech cabinet gave the green light to a proposal for the country to assume the OECD Council chair, a position that has never been held by the Czech Republic before. The foreign ministry said the chairmanship will enable Prague to advance its own priorities and strengthen its influence among the 38 member states. The council’s mandate usually lasts one year, with a ministerial meeting convened annually, often in early June, to set the organization’s political direction.

Foreign Minister Petr Macinka described the appointment as a triumph of Czech diplomacy and pledged to promote economic liberty, competitiveness, tech progress and the removal of business barriers. Preparations will involve the ministries of finance, industry and trade, and the OECD secretariat, while the budget for the chairmanship is estimated at six million crowns, funded from the foreign ministry’s budget.