Dr. Jesús Seade Kuri and Ambassador Rogelio Granguillhome Morfin – Picture by SRE, Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores – Mexican Embassy to Germany.
9-30 July 2020: Mexican Undersecretary for North America at the Foreign Ministry, Dr. Jesús Seade Kuri was on a working visit to the World Trade Organisation headquartered in Geneva as well as to Berlin and Paris, for consultations and chiefly presentations towards his candidature to become the succeeding Director General of the WTO.
In Berlin, Dr. Seade Kuri accompanied by Ambassador Rogelio Granguillhome Morfín held meetings with the Secretary of State of the German Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Miguel Berger; the head of the Economics and Development Unit of that ministry, Michael Klor-Berchtold; the Director General of International Economics of the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy, Eckhard Franz, and the Director of the International Economics Unit of the German Federal Chancellery, Helen Winter. On these occasions, Dr. Seade explained that it is a decisive moment to reform the WTO, through a work agenda that includes the matters for the XXI century as well as different public policies to promote global trade despite the effects on global value chains caused by the ongoing pandemic.
Before German business groups, including the Confederation of German Industry (BDI), the Association of German Chambers of Commerce and Industry (DIHK), and the Confederation of the German Automotive Industry (VDA), Dr. Seade stressed that one of his priorities as director-general of the WTO would be to reactivate the capacity to reach agreements based on effective negotiations in the WTO between the main actors in world trade, combining experience, pragmatism and the search for innovative solutions.
The post at the helm of the WTO becomes vacant on 31 August 2020 when incumbent Director-General Roberto Azevêdo, steps down a year earlier as per his own behest. The candidature of Dr. Seade from Mexico was the first one received by the international organisation for the high office.
Dr. Seade Kuri was the chief negotiator for the USMCA that replaced the NAFTA treaty amongst Mexico, the USA and Canada.
For further information:
Statement by the Mexican Foreign Office: https://www.gob.mx/sre/prensa/el-dr-jesus-seade-kuri-presenta-su-candidatura-a-la-direccion-general-de-la-omc-en-ginebra-berlin-y-paris?state=published&fbclid=IwAR2OW3dhCypFxqAW_rqZjuFjr5n-b14gH-sdNto45g0Q4vKlW1lONZxjGIc
Profile of Dr. Jesús Seade Kuri: https://lideresmexicanos.com/300/jesus-seade-kuri/
