Netanyahu: Israel will join OECD

Israel's finance Minister Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu said in Washington last week that "within a year or two Israel will be a member of the OECD" (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development)
 
The OECD is internationally regarded as a prestigious "rich man's club" of the world's most developed nations.
 
Minister Netanyahu, was in Washington for the annual meeting of the International Monetary Fund where he met with finance ministers of six of the G7 states.
 
During the visit he met also senior U.S. treasury officials. In a meeting held with the US officials Netanyahu clarified that the Government budget deficit target for 2005 may be raised to 3.5% from 3%, or even to 3.7% of the gross domestic product.