The European Union has expressed support for Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Nigeria’s candidate for the position of Director-General of the World Trade Organisation as the race enters its final month.

According to Bloomberg, the EU also agreed in Brussels to select the South Korean candidate, Yoo Myung-hee, who is the country’s Trade Minister, as the second candidate for the job.

The WTO’s General Council is expected to meet today to reduce the five candidates still in the race for DG to two.

Hungary swung behind the planned recommendation after being the only EU country to withhold support at a lower-level meeting last Friday of officials representing the 27-nation bloc.

It plans to announce two finalists after October 6 and name a winner by November 7.

Brazilian Roberto Azevedo had stepped down from the job at the end of August – a year before his term ended.