Transcript of Zoellick's April 5 remarks on Pascal Lamy's WTO DG candidacy - transcript

Deputy Secretary of State (and former US Trade Representative) Robert Zoellick is traveling through Europe this week.

Today, in a press conference with Elmar Brok, the Chairman of the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, he was asked about Pascal Lamy's candidacy for WTO Director-General.

Here are the question and the answer (from "Press Availability With Elmar Brok, Chairman, European Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee. Deputy Secretary Robert B. Zoellick. European Parliament. Brussels, Belgium. April 5, 2005" ):

"Question: ...And my second question to you as well: The European Union has nominated Pascal Lamy as a good chief of the WTO. With your personal experience of dealing with Mr. Lamy, do you think he�s a candidate that the United States could back as well, and what do you think the developing world will think about that?

Deputy Secretary Zoellick: ...As for your comment about Commissioner Lamy, I obviously consider Commissioner Lamy both a friend but more importantly a very accomplished trade leader. And so I have said all along, and the United States has said, that we believe that he would be a very strong candidate for that position.

The process for the WTO selection is different than some other processes. What is happening is that the chairman of the general council, who is actually a chairwoman � she�s ambassador from Kenya -- is undertaking consultations with the help of a Canadian official and one other with all of the member states. Now the United States is a big player in the WTO process. Sometimes our support helps; sometimes it doesn�t help. In this case we�re just one vote of many. But we�ve made very clear that we�d be very comfortable with Commissioner Lamy and that I think that he could play a strong role. There are other good candidates as well.

Now, I spoke with Commissioner Lamy shortly before I took this trip, and I know he�s also planning to visit the United States, which I encouraged him to do. The other candidates have done that, and this would give him an opportunity to talk to members of our Congress, meet some of the officials in the executive branch and others. But I think the WTO would be very well served by his candidacy, but there are some other good candidates as well."

Zoellick was also asked about Lamy's candidacy on April 4, in Portugal.   This post has a transcript of his comments there:"Zoellick remarks on Lamy".