Freetown — Newly-accredited Ghanaian Ambassador to Ethiopia, His Excellency Albert Yankeyhas officially sought the blessing of the government of Sierra Leone to support the candidature of Alan John Kyerematen for the position of Director General of the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Mr. Kyerematen, the erstwhile Minister of Trade and Industry of Ghana, is Africa's candidate for the WTO top job.

Ambassador Yankey made the appeal when he paid a courtesy call on Sierra Leone's envoy to theFederal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Ambassador Andrew Bangali on Monday February 5.Yankeysaid he has been instructed by his Foreign Minister to approach friendly countries and interface with them to throw their weight behind Mr. Kyerematen.

"I am appealing to you to use your good offices so that Sierra Leone will support the candidature of Mr. Alan Kyerematen," the Ghanaian diplomat requested, noting that he will be consulting with Ambassador Bangali on issues relating to the African Union Commission and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa.

Earlier, envoy Bangali told his counterpart that work is sometimes challenging in Ethiopia thus describing that country as the hub of international diplomacy in Africa.He said he considered his appointment as an opportunity because of the strategic nature of the Addis Ababa mission.

Ambassador Bangali opined that there is a new team now at the Commission headed by a new chairperson and four new commissioners, adding that it will be a learning process for them.

He assured his colleague of Sierra Leone's unwavering support for Mr. Kyerematen, stating that as 2nd Vice Chair of the Ministerial Committee on Candidatures in International Organizations, Sierra Leone always supports candidates that are endorsed by the aforementioned Committee.

Bangali also briefed his colleague on the workings of the Commission viz-a-viz the operations of the Permanent Representatives' Sub-Committees.

Mr. Yankey indicated that before he was assigned to Ethiopia, he had served as Ghana's Deputy Ambassador to Ivory Coast.

On the same day, Ambassador Bangali also participated in the Permanent Representatives' Sub- Committee meeting on Multilateral Cooperation to discuss preparations ahead of the 3rd Africa-South America (ASA) Summit, which will be held in Equatorial Guinea from the 20th to 23rd February 2013.

He used the meeting to formally congratulate the new Chairperson of the Permanent Representatives' Committee and Ethiopia's Ambassador to the African Union Commission, Madam Kongit Sinegiorgis, after she assumed the position.