EU backs Wolfowitz as bank's chief

BRUSSELS, Belgium — The European Union backed Paul Wolfowitz's nomination as World Bank chief Wednesday as the U.S. deputy defense secretary promised to work closely with Europe and mount a major fight against global poverty.

Wolfowitz struck a conciliatory tone after a two-hour session with European Union development and finance ministers, moving to ease concerns about his reputation as a unilateralist with little experience on development issues.

"There are no objections of EU countries" to Wolfowitz, Belgian Development Aid minister Armand De Decker after the meeting.

Wolfowitz, a key architect of the Iraq war, is expected to be approved as the bank chief today. He said he was "eager to take on this challenge."

"Helping people lift themselves out of poverty is truly a noble mission," he said.

The United States, as the Washington-based World Bank's largest shareholder, traditionally puts forward a candidate to lead the institution and the board usually accepts the nomination.

In an unusual move, EU officials had requested Wolfowitz come present his views on development issues. With efforts to fight poverty high on the global agenda and aid groups and some governments concerned about his background, Wolfowitz sought to appease his critics.

German Development Aid Minister Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul said she was encouraged by what she heard at Wednesday's meeting, adding that many ministers around the table pushed Wolfowitz on his neo-conservative and reputation as a hawk in the Bush administration.

"This is the past he has, and of course we (Germany) had the position we had on the Iraq war, but it's also clear that this is for him a new beginning, and we judge him according on what he said today," Wieczorek-Zeul said.

Wolfowitz said he understood why many Europeans were cool on his nomination and why they were uneasy about him leading one of the world's premier lending and credit institutions for poor and developing nations.

"I understand that I am, to put it mildly, a controversial figure," in Europe, Wolfowitz said. "But I hope that as people get to know me better they will understand that I really do believe deeply in the mission of the (World) Bank."

Dutch Development Cooperation Minister Agnes van Ardenne said the EU also pushed Wolfowitz to ensure that one of his deputies at the bank would be European and that his role would be independent of the U.S. government.