Nathalie Alphonse reports that Mauritian Foreign Minister, and WTO Director-General candidate, Jaya Krishna Cuttaree, is speaking to EU Parliamentarians today, on his vision for the WTO: "Jayen Cuttaree is over the first hurdle" (l'express of Port-Louis, Mauritius, April 19).
Alphonse also reports that the WTO selection committee will start its next round of consultations with member-state ambassadors on April 25 (other reports suggest it will start on Thursday, April 21). A second candidate will be expected to drop out after this round.
Cuttaree, who was second in the early-to-mid April consultation, sees the race as one between France's Pascal Lamy, and himself: "Two-horse race seen for WTO post, EU vs Mauritius" (Reuters, April 19).
"The battle to head the World Trade Organisation will be a two-horse race between Europe and Mauritius after Uruguay drops out, the Indian Ocean island's candidate for the top post said on Tuesday...
Mauritian Trade Minister Jaya Krishna Cuttaree said Uruguay's nominee Carlos Perez del Castillo, its former envoy to the WTO, would be eliminated in the next round on April 25.
"The Uruguayan candidate is far behind Lamy and myself," Cuttaree told reporters in Brussels on the margins of a meeting with the European Parliament trade committee.
"It would be logical to expect that Castillo moves out in the next round." "
Meanwhile, speaking to a group of French economics and financial reporters, "Lamy says support for his WTO candidacy extends beyond developed nations". (but the report doesn't say that he went into any details) - via EU Business, April 19.
Revised 4-20 with new information on start date for second round of consultations.
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