Morocco's candidate to WTO top position meets Belgian deputy-premier

Moroccan candidate to the post of Director General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Hassan Abouyoub, in Brussels on Wednesday Elio Du Rupo, Belgian deputy-premier and minister of economy, external trade and telecommunications.

Talks covered the process to elect the WTO chief.

Three other candidates are running for the position: Thai Deputy Prime Minister Supachai Panitchpakdi, former trade minister Roy MacLaren of Canada and New Zealand's former prime minister Michael Moore.

Abouyoub, 44, the youngest of all candidates has been appointed recently in charge of international negotiations. He is seen as having a long experience in matters of world trade.

The WTO is supposed to replace by April at the latest its first director Renato Ruggiero of Italy who announced he is not running for another term.

The decision will be based on the intensity of support, geographical distribution of expressed backing and level of acceptance. The result is expected to be announced by the end of this month.

Abouyoub had said he was optimistic as to his odds to win thanks to the backing of African, Arab and several European countries.