NZ Backs Castillo For WTO Post

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The New Zealand government is backing Uruguay's Carlos Perez del Castillo for the top job in global trade - the leader of the World Trade Organisation.

New Zealand has dismissed three other main candidates, including Europe and America's preferred candidate Pascal Lamy.

Trade Negotiations Minister Jim Sutton says New Zealand is backing Castillo because he has already shown his ability to keep on track the vital Doha Round of trade negotiations, designed to stamp out Europe's and America's agricultural subsidies.

Thailand's Supachai Panitchpakdi ends his term as WTO director-general at the end of August but the WTO has set itself a deadline of the end of May to choose his successor.

Supachai shared the four-year appointment with New Zealand's Mike Moore after the last selection process ended in deadlock.