Poland welcomed into OECD club

Poland on July 11 joined the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), a group of the world's richest nations, Polish and international media reported. Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Grzegorz Kolodko, who signed the agreement, said Poland will press forward with plans to join the EU by 2000. Poland will become the OECD's 28th member after the Sejm ratifies the accession treaty, probably in early fall. To meet the OECD's criteria for membership, Poland agreed to free up the flow of capital and loosen restrictions on foreign ownership of land.