MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Brazil formalizes candidacy to lead WTO.

Brazil formally launched Friday the candidacy of diplomat Luiz Felipe de Seixas Correa to lead the World Trade Organization, WTO.

The current Brazilian ambassador to Geneva-based WTO is the third hopeful in the race to replace Thailand's Supachai Panitchpakdi, which also includes Uruguay's Carlos Perez del Castillo and former European Union Trade Commission Pascal Lamy.

"We feel we can contribute to the progress of negotiations and to making the WTO reflect the growing importance of developing countries in the world trading system," said Clodoaldo Hugueney, a senior official in Brazil's Foreign Ministry, who came to Geneva to deliver the letter formalizing Brazil's bid, WTO General Council president, Shotaro Oshima from Japan.

Mr. Hugueney said Brazil had consulted with many foreign governments before putting forward the name of Mr. De Seixas Correa, adding that his country is anxious to see the current round of global trade talks conclude successfully and on schedule.

"We believe that agricultural negotiations and, in general, the perspective of the developing world are at the centre of WTO attention".

Mr. Hugueney insisted that the Brazilian candidacy arises not from personal or national ambitions, but from the conviction that the next WTO director general "must come from a developing nation which plays a fundamental role in changing the nature of the organization".

Asked why Brazil was competing with its neighbour - and Mercosur trade bloc partner - Uruguay for the same post, Mr. Hugueney said his government "felt another candidate who better reflected its aspirations was needed".

The diplomat did not rule out that the consultation period, which runs until the end of March, could see agreement on a single candidate to represent Latin America or even the entire developing world.

Candidate ambassador De Seixas Correo considered his chances of getting the job as "good" adding that if he is finally elected the priority will be the conclusion of the Doha round "within the perspective of development, and contemplating developing countries growing presence in trade affairs".

Another candidate to lead the 140 country membership WTO but not yet made official is Mauritian Foreign and International Trade Minister Jayen Cuttare