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Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi (D-CA):
My experience working with him on the subject of Darfur tells me that I know that he cares about that issue, which is very important to the American people, said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. He's sensitive to the need to alleviate poverty there, to resolve conflict in a peaceful way. ... I have been impressed by what he has done so far. (Zoellick Must Restore Calm at the World Bank, FOXNews.com, 5/30/07)
House Republican Whip Roy Blunt (R-MO) :
Nominating him to lead the World Bank is a good decision by this President, and it's one I expect will be rightly applauded by our friends and partners around the globe, said House Republican Whip Roy Blunt, R-Mo. No one is better prepared for this job than Bob Zoellick, and I have great confidence in the future of the Bank under his leadership. (Bush Nominates Zoellick To Be World Bank President, Dow Jones Newswires, 5/30/07)
U.S. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT):
It's hard to imagine a more intelligent, hard-working and capable person to assume the bank's leadership at this difficult point in its history, Baucus told Reuters. (Bush names Zoellick for World Bank, Reuters, 5/30/07)
Senator Charles E. Grassley (R-IA) :
He's extremely capable, and through his leadership for international trade, I know he has a real understanding of what it takes to advance economic development in poor countries, Mr. Grassley said. (Bush to name Zoellick to lead World Bank, The Washington Times, 5/30/07)
Australian Treasurer Peter Costello:
Mr Zoellick is an excellent candidate for the World Bank Presidency and will be supported by Australia. (Nomination of Robert Zoellick for World Bank President, Treasurer of the Commonwealth of Australia - Press Release, 5/31/07)
Russian Economy Minister German Gref:
It's not easy to negotiate with him but it's easy to make agreements with him, since he is a professional of the highest caliber and he always keeps his word. (Zoellick Promises to Heal World Bank Rifts, Reuters, 5/30/07)
Japanese Vice Finance Minister Hideto Fujii:
Mr. Zoellick is suitable as he has experience in areas such as diplomacy, trade and finance. Japan will support him, Vice Finance Minister Hideto Fujii told a news conference. (Japan backs Zoellick as next World Bank chief: MOF's Fujii, Kyodo News, 5/31/07)
Brazilian Finance Minister Guido Mantega:
He is a good choice, Mantega said. He has good international experience and has had a pro-active stance in liberalizing world trade. (Brazil's Mantega Lauds Zoellick Nomination As World Bank President, Dow Jones Newswires, 5/31/07)
Spokeswoman for South African Finance Minister Trevor Manuel:
We consider Zoellick to be very competent and hope he will be able to operate in the same manner as he demonstrated in the World Trade Organisation negotiations when he served as the US trade representative, and where he sought to build consensus in a constructive and professional manner, said Thoraya Pandy spokeswoman for Finance Minister Trevor Manuel. (Manuel Lauds Zoellick As Bank Nominee, Business Day-Johannesburg, 5/31/07)
French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner:
Mr. Zoellick is certainly the right man for the job. (Bush proposes Zoellick to head divided World Bank, Agence France Presse, 5/30/07)
Singapore Minister for Foreign Affairs George Yeo:
Zoellick is an excellent choice…. . I've also been impressed by his concerns of the needs of the developing world, (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Singapore, 5/30/07)
Bahrain Central Bank Governor Rashid al-Maraj:
I can tell he's a capable man, Rashid al-Maraj, Bahrain's central bank governor, told Zawya Dow Jones in a phone interview. He's got a reputable personality and has patience to solve all problems. (Arab bank heads cautiously welcome Zoellick, Gulf Times- Qatar, 5/31/07)
Peruvian Foreign Trade Minister Mercedes Araoz:
My impression is that it's a good choice President Bush is making, Peruvian Foreign Trade Minister Mercedes Araoz told The Associated Press. He was a driving force of the U.S. trade agenda in seeking association with developing countries, among them Peru. (Zoellick to Be Nominated to World Bank, Associated Press Newswires, 5/30/07)
German Development Minister Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul:
Germany's Development Minister Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul called Zoellick a good candidate, who brings a large measure of international experience with him. It's important that the World Bank quickly gets a new president and wins back its ability to act, she said. (Zoellick Welcomed as Likely World Bank chief, Reuters, 5/31/07)
Pascal Lamy, head of the World Trade Organization :
I have known Bob Zoellick for over two decades, said Pascal Lamy, head of the World Trade Organization. I have always appreciated his skills as a consensus builder and his capacity to reach out to developing countries. (Ex-Trade Envoy is Bush's Choice for World Bank, The New York Times, 5/30/07)
OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurria:
His leadership and extensive experience in dealing with international organizations, as well as his clear understanding of the complexities of development issues, make him an excellent choice for this post, Angel Gurria, Secretary-General of the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development, said in a statement. (Zoellick Says Unity, Healing are Goals; World Bank Nominee Finds Global Support, USA Today, 5/31/07)
Nancy Birdsall, President of the Center for Global Development:
Nancy Birdsall, president of the Center for Global Developmnet, an antipoverty group in Washington, said Mr. Zoellick's skills as a negotiator and diplomat will serve him well… `There is a job to do, of calming and healing,' said Ms. Birdsall, describing Mr. Zoellick as a pragmatist…'He wants to get to yes right away.' (Zoellick's World Bank Bid Garners Support, The Wall Street Journal, 5/31/07)
Bear Stearns Chief Economist David Malpass :
Bob is an expert at creating influential networks of people, says Bear Stearns chief economist David Malpass, who first crossed paths with Zoellick when they worked in the Reagan administration. (Ex-U.S. trade official to head World Bank, USA Today, 5/30/07)
American Enterprise Institute Resident Scholar Philip Levy:
Zoellick is well-qualified. He is a top competitor in `brightest guy in the room' contests. He has been an undersecretary and a deputy secretary of State and served with great distinction as the United States Trade Representative (USTR). (Banking on Zoellick, American.com, 5/30/07)
Former Secretary of State James Baker:
Zoellick is a man who gets things done,' said former Secretary of State James Baker, who brought him into the Reagan administration in 1985.
(Zoellick May Prove Wolfowitz Antidote at World Bank, Bloomberg News, 5/30/07)
Former Ambassador to the European Union and Deputy Treasury Secretary Stuart Eizenstat:
It's really a brilliant appointment,' said Stuart Eizenstat, a former Treasury Department official during the Clinton administration. (Zoellick Nominated to Head the World Bank, The Hill, 5/30/07)
The Wall Street Journal:
Having published at least a dozen of Robert Zoellick's op-eds over the years we know him as a man who never minces his words nor takes easily to editing. If that's an indication of the management style he'll bring to the World Bank, then president Bush has nominated a fine successor to outgoing bank president Paul Wolfowitz… As a former trade representative and deputy secretary of state, Mr. Zoellick understands modern markets and knows his way around multilateral institutions. (Editorial,Zoellick's Clean-Up Duty, The Wall Street Journal, 5/31/07)
The Washington Post:
He is a good choice to lead the bank. (Editorial, A World Bank Choice; Robert Zoellick is Well Qualified to Take Over a Troubled Institution, The Washington Post, 5/31/07)
The New York Times:
Mr. Zoellick cannot get to work soon enough. (Editorial, A Clean Start at the World Bank, The New York Times, 5/31/07)
Financial Times:
The bank desperately needs a credible and effective leader. The new boss must heal the wounds that have opened up both between management and staff and within the board. He needs to provide a sense of direction, clear leadership and effective management. He needs, not least, to adapt an institution now 61 years old to the entirely different conditions of today. How does Mr Zoellick match up to these requirements? Well, is the answer. (Editorial, Zoellick at the World Bank, Financial Times, 5/31/07)
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