Vietnam urged to encourage ASEAN nations to join OECDVietnam should encourage other ASEAN members to join the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), a senior official from the Japanese Foreign Ministry said at the Ministerial Conference of the OECD in Tokyo on March 8. Therefore, the OECD considered the regional nations its potential members, and initiated the Southeast Asia Regional Programme (SEARP) in 2014, he said, adding that the interest in the OECD among ASEAN nations is growing. The SEARP aims to support ASEAN nations’ economic reform and integration, has seen numerous positive outcomes. The OECD has shared its experience, knowledge and advised policies for ASEAN nations in investment, infrastructure, small- and medium-sized enterprises, education-training, among others, Son said. The event highlighted the important role of SEARP in creating favourable conditions for ASEAN’s regional integration, supporting reform priorities in ASEAN member nations, and bringing them closer to the OECD.