The European Union (EU) governments yesterday expressed support for Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Nigeria’s candidate for the position of Director-General (DG) of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) as the race enters the final month.
In addition, Bloomberg disclosed that the EU governments selected the South Korean candidate, Yoo Myung-hee, who is the country’s trade minister, as the second contender for the job, the bloc would be supporting.
The WTO’s General Council is expected to meet today to reduce the five candidates still in the race for DG to two.
EU member-country envoys agreed yesterday in Brussels to endorse Okonjo-Iweala, Nigeria’s former finance minister, and Yoo Myung-hee, South Korea’s trade chief, in their bids, to become WTO director-general, Bloomberg quoted an official familiar with the matter.
Hungary swung behind the planned recommendation after being the only EU country to withhold support at a lower-level meeting last Friday of officials representing the 27-nation bloc, the person said on the condition of anonymity because the deliberations were confidential.
Source: THISDAY
