LUXEMBOURG, May 22 (Reuters) - Luxembourg Budget Minister Luc Frieden said on Friday he expects the Grand Duchy to sign 15 double-taxation agreements by the end of this year that meet OECD standards on information exchange.
Luxembourg must ink at least 12 such pacts to be removed from a so-called "grey list" compiled by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. It signed an updated tax treaty with the United States on Wednesday.
"On the basis of the intensive talks we have had in the past days and hours, I think it is realistic that we will be able to meet our goal to conclude 15 double-taxation agreements in conformity with OECD standards by the end of the year," he said.
"With France we have an agreement that is almost ready for signing ... and we will in all probability sign it before mid-June," Frieden told a news conference.
On Germany, he said he expected such a deal to be signed by the end of this year.
Luxembourg started formal talks on such a deal with Britain on Wednesday, Frieden said.
The Group of 20 industrial and emerging economies pledged last month to crack down on jurisdictions that fail to cooperate in cross-border tax evasion. (Reporting by Michele Sinner; Writing by Dale Hudson, editing by Mike Peacock)