CANBERRA, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- Australia's outgoing Finance Minister Mathias Cormann has been nominated as the secretary-general of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Thursday.
Cormann, who was born in Belgium, is the longest-serving finance minister in Australian history for having held the portfolio for seven years.
He announced his retirement from politics in July after 13 years as a senator.
"We believe the OECD needs the sort of leadership that we think Australia and an Australian can provide. And so I am announcing our intention to nominate Mathias Cormann, for the position of secretary-general of the OECD," Morrison told reporters.
The OECD, which was established in 1961 to stimulate global trade, has more than 30 member countries mostly in western and central Europe.
"The importance of practical cooperation has never been greater whether when dealing with a pandemic, the challenge of climate change, education and skills' needs, the promising challenges of the digital economy and narrowing differences on taxation policy," Cormann said.
"These are big challenges and I have accepted this nomination because I believe I can make a real difference."
Morrison announced that Simon Birmingham, the minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, would take over as the minister for Finance at the end of October.
Birmingham was elected to the Senate at the same time as Cormann in 2007 after serving as the minister for education.
