Dartmouth College president Jim Yong Kim, U.S. President Barack Obama's nominee to president of the World Bank, reaches out to shake hands as he arrives for meetings at the bank's headquarters in Washington, April 11, 2012. Russia has announced its support for Mr. Kim's appointment to head the bank.Jonathan Ernst/Reuters
Russia will back Jim Yong Kim, the U.S. nominee for the next World Bank head, Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said on Friday after meeting the candidate, who is in Moscow on his world tour to drum up support.
"Taking into account Mr. Kim's considerable professional qualities as well as his experience and knowledge, the Russian Federation will support the candidacy of Jim Yong Kim during the voting by the bank's board of directors," the Russian Finance Ministry said in a statement.
The statement added that Mr. Kim had gained extensive experience working in Russia when he served in the World Health Organization (WHO).
While there, he led a WHO initiative that is credited with providing access to HIV treatment to millions of people in developing countries.
Mr. Kim served in various roles at the WHO from 2003-2005, according to a copy of his CV posted on the Dartmouth College website.
Mr. Kim, a public-health expert and former president of Dartmouth, already has been in Asia and parts of Latin and Central America to meet finance chiefs. On Wednesday, he was interviewed by World Bank directors.
Russia is the first of the BRIC countries – an acronym that refers to the four rapidly growing economic powers Brazil, Russia, India and China – to come out in support of Mr. Kim.
Two other candidates also are vying to succeed the current World Bank president, Robert Zoellick, when he steps down. They are Nigerian Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and former Colombian finance minister Jose Antonio Ocampo.
However, sources said earlier on Friday that Mr. Ocampo is set to withdraw his nomination as emerging and developing countries agree to coalesce around a single nominee.
The job traditionally has gone to an American.
A decision on Mr. Zoellick's successor is expected to be made public by the time the bank and its sister institution, the International Monetary Fund, hold semi-annual meetings in Washington, April 20-22.