HERMINIO BLANCO IN AFRICA TO EXPLAIN HIS PLAN TO USE TRADE TO BOOST DEVELOPMENT

· The Mexican candidate to the WTO visited Senegal, the Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso and Nigeria.

Dr. Blanco, who is in Africa this week as part of his campaign to head the World Trade Organization (WTO), told African politicians and business leaders that trade is a powerful tool for development and there is an urgent need to give countries the opportunity to reap its benefits.

While visiting the capitals of Senegal, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso and Nigeria, Blanco heard firsthand the trade and development priorities of these countries’ leaders.

At various meetings, the former Mexican Trade Secretary explained that he is in favor of implementing special and differential treatment (SDT) and how to solve the problem of raw materials, which are strongly affected by subsidies in developed countries.

He also spoke in favor of granting effective access to markets for goods and services from developing countries, especially in duty- and tariff-free treatment for LDCs.

In Nigeria, which he visited last Thursday, Blanco met with President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan; Foreign Minister Olugbenga Ayodeji Ashiru; Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; and the Minister of State for Trade and Investment, Samuel Ortom.

A day earlier, in Burkina Faso, Blanco met with Thomas Palé, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Cooperation; and Arthur Patiendé Kafando, Minister of Industry, Trade and Handicrafts.

Both in Nigeria and Burkina Faso, Blanco discussed the need for an effective and lasting solution to the problem of cotton subsidies that affect the welfare of many African producers.

In Ivory Coast, he met with the Minister of Trade, Handicrafts and SMEs, Jean Louis Billon; and Foreign Minister Charles Koffi Diby.

The Ivorian ministers thanked Dr. Blanco for traveling to the region to explain his proposals and they reiterated Ivory Coast’s interest in free trade. Both sides reviewed the need to rebuild and rehabilitate the country's agro-industrial sector and the importance of promoting trade and investment as instruments for development.

Dr. Blanco began his tour of Africa in Dakar, Senegal, by meeting the Minister of Trade, Industry and the Informal Sector, Alioune Sarr; and the Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Senegalese Abroad, Papa Omar Ndiaye.

The Senegalese senior officials said that Dr. Blanco has the right profile for WTO Director General, and they asked him to pay particular attention to the vulnerability of the African agriculture and poultry sectors.

The Mexican candidate agreed with them that the WTO’s role must be defended in order to benefit all countries, especially the relatively less developed ones.

During his African tour, Blanco was accompanied by Ambassador Lourdes Aranda, Special Envoy of the Mexican government. They were accompanied in Senegal and Ivory Coast by Porfirio Thierry Muñoz Ledo, the Mexican Ambassador concurrent in those countries. In Nigeria and Burkina Faso, Ambassador Marco Antonio Garcia Blanco participated.

Dr. Blanco’s tour continues in Germany.

To continue promoting his WTO candidacy, Blanco traveled to Germany, where he will remain until next Monday.

In the capitals of both developed and developing countries, he has expressed his willingness to work on building bridges between developed and developing countries that enable trade agreements beneficial to all parties to be reached.

Dr. White's candidacy is backed by a 27-year career as a promoter of free trade in both the private and public sectors. He has vast experience as a key player in the negotiation of agreements between Mexico and the United States, the European Union and other countries.