MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Bush has chosen Robert Zoellick for World Bank president

United States President George W Bush has chosen Robert Zoellick, former deputy Secretary of State, to be president of the World Bank, US officials revealed on Tuesday.

Zoellick would replace Paul Wolfowitz, who resigned amid a scandal over his role in winning a new pay and promotion package for his girlfriend. Mr Wolfowitz will leave the post at the end of June. President Bush will name Mr Zoellick on Wednesday, and expects the Bank's board to accept him, according to White House sources. A US government source said that Mr Zoellicks's "experience and long career in international trade, finance and diplomacy make him uniquely prepared to take on this challenge". They added: "He has the trust and respect of many officials around the world and believes deeply in the World Bank's mission of tackling poverty." As deputy secretary of state, Mr Zoellick was chief aide to Condoleezza Rice between February 2005 and June last year. He was also a former US trade representative and is currently an executive at the investment bank Goldman Sachs. Earlier this week Mr Wolfowitz told the BBC that an "overheated" atmosphere at the bank and in the media forced him to resign. The outgoing head, whose appointment was originally opposed by many European nations, said the bank's board did accept that he had acted ethically, and in good faith.