Hassan Abouyoub ambassador in charge of commercial negotiations

King Hassan II appointed Hassan Abouyoub ambassador in charge of commercial negotiations, the Moroccan Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Department announced on Monday.

Abouyoub, 46, is a former Minister of external trade, agriculture, tourism and external investments.

He was actively involved in the negotiations for Morocco's adherence to the Gatt (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade) and in preparations for the implementation of the Moroccan Structural adjustment program.

Last week, Morocco officially presented Hassan Abouyoub as candidate to the position of Director General of the Geneva-based World Trade Organization (WTO).

Abouyoub is the fourth candidate in the race to succeed Renato Ruggiero, who will leave office next year. The three other candidates are former Prime Minister of New Zealand, Mike Moore, former Canadian International trade Minister Roy MacLaren, and Thailand's Vice-Prime Minister, Supachai Panitchpakdi.

Ruggiero, whose term will end next April, had announced that he will not run for another mandate. He is the first Director General of WTO which substituted the Gatt in 1995.

The list of candidates will be closed on October 12 and the new WTO chief will be elected by the end of the year.