The Minister of Foreign Relations of Brazil, Celso Amorim, said he is confident that the new Director General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Pascal Lamy, will contribute for the strengthening of the multilateral trade system, according to an official statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Relations (Itamaraty).
Amorim learned Friday, May 13, of the elimination of the Brazilian-backed candidature of Uruguayan Carlos Perez del Castillo, making French Pascal Lamy the only candidate.
Celso Amorim called Pascal Lamy to congratulate him, and recalled previous negotiations in which Lamy demonstrated equilibrium and loyalty, even when, as European representative, he defended positions that differed from those adopted by Brazil.
The Itamaraty statement says that the Minister emphasized the Brazilian government’s desire to work together with the future Director General, with the objective of making the WTO a more democratic organization, receptive to the requests of developing nations.
Lamy was informally chosen as WTO chief and will take the new post as of the 1st of September. The formalization of the choice for Lamy will be made on the 26th this month, during plenary session at the WTO.
At the last phase of the selection process, Lamy, former trade commissioner at the European Union (EU), remained after the elimination of the Uruguayan Carlos Pérez del Castillo.
Brazil had been supporting the Uruguayan candidate since the removing the candidacy of the Brazilian ambassador Luís Felipe Seixas Correia.
The selection of candidates for the WTO is made based on preference lists presented by the member countries of the organization. The choice should be the result of a consensus between these countries.
ABr