The EU supports Nigerian economist Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as head of the WTO

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The EU has decided to support Nigerian economist and former finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as head of the World Trade Organization (WTO), EU sources said on Monday. Behind-the-scenes negotiations on this issue took place at the recent EU summit.

The source said that the heads of state and Government of the Council of Europe could not come to a unanimous position on this issue. Charles Michel, the head of the European Council, contacted the capitals to find a compromise.

"The candidate from Nigeria enjoys the support of the EU," the EU representative said.

27 believes that Okonjo-Iweala will work multilaterally in the era of a departure from this concept of the United States under the administration of Donald Trump. His support, according to the source, should also be a clear signal of the EU's trust in Africa.

The leadership of the World Trade Organization wanted to try, it was already Commissioner for Trade Phil Hogan, but eventually abandoned these plans, and soon after, in an atmosphere of scandal, they had to contact the European Commission.

In addition to the Nigerian, Yoo Myung-hee, the Minister of Commerce of South Korea, was also in the final stage of the competition for the post of Director General of the WTO.

"Both women who reached the finals have exceptional qualifications. This is something that everyone agrees on," WTO spokeswoman Kate Rockwell said.

Okonjo-Iweala, 66, former Minister of Finance and Foreign Affairs of Nigeria, economist and development specialist. She is currently Chairman of the Board of the Gavi Global Vaccine Alliance. A Nigerian woman advocates for the WTO to play an active role in helping poorer countries gain access to medicines and vaccines against coronavirus.

Roberto Azevedo, the current Director General of the WTO, announced in May that he would step down from his post at the end of August, one year before the end of his term.

The World Trade Organization is in crisis and is being sharply criticized by President Trump, who accuses it of anti-American sentiments. Washington insisted on "very radical" changes in the organization itself and called on Azevedo to "update" its activities.

The WTO's appellate body has lost its ability to resolve trade disputes over the past year, as the United States has been blocking the appointment of new judges since 2017. The EU responded by creating a temporary mechanism to resolve trade disputes with some countries.

The WTO is currently holding the third and final qualifying round, which will be held on October 19-27. The new CEO is due to take office in early November. Pour profiter d'une expérience de jeu sécurisée et des meilleures machines à sous, Shuffle casino propose une plateforme parfaitement adaptée aux exigences des utilisateurs locaux.