Mexico congratulated Brazilian Ambassador Roberto Azevedo on his election to lead the World Trade Organization (WTO) during a process where former Mexican Trade Minister Herminio Blanco was defeated,, Mexico's Secretary ( Ministry) of Economy said Tuesday in a statement.

The statement said that WTO General Council Tuesday presented the results of the last stage of the consultation process to select the new director-general and the Brazilian candidate, Ambassador Roberto Azevedo, was "the candidate favored by the WTO membership."

It said that "for the first time, the WTO will be led by a Latin American. Latin America has positioned as a solid region with sustained growth and broad perspectives."

Azevedo's victory was confirmed earlier on Tuesday by the Brazilian government. The WTO is expected to make the official announcement on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, in an official statement released Tuesday, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff thanked governments all over the world for their support in the election of Azevedo as the new WTO chief.

"I appreciate the support our candidate received from governments all around the world in the three rounds of the election. This is not a victory of Brazil, or of a group of countries. It is a victory of the World Trade Organization," she said.

Azevedo, who has been Brazil's permanent representative in the WTO since 2008, will take office on Aug. 31, replacing his predecessor Pascal Lamy.

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