Annan congratulates former EU official on selection as head of World Trade Organization

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today warmly congratulated former European Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy, a French national, on his formal selection as the next Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO).

In a statement issued in New York by a UN spokesman, the Secretary-General noted that "Mr. Lamy's proven track record as Trade Commissioner of the European Union, and his understanding that progress on trade is vital to our work to reach the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), makes him an excellent leader of the WTO at this defining time."

According to the statement, the Secretary-General welcomed Mr. Lamy's express commitment to completing the Doha trade negotiations, and to ensuring that trade contributes to the development of those countries that need it most.

"He wishes Mr. Lamy all the best as he prepares to take up his duties on 1 September, and looks forward to an ever closer partnership between their two Organizations in the years ahead," the statement said.