Japan's deputy vice finance minister for international affairs has been appointed executive secretary of the Development Committee, which advises the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, the Finance Ministry said Thursday.
Kiyoshi Kodera, 53, called "Mr. Development" for his expertise in the field of development, will be the first Japanese to assume the Washington-based post, it said.
He is to assume the post in early February, replacing interim Executive Secretary Zia Qureshi of Pakistan.
Since joining the Finance Ministry in 1974, Kodera has been seconded to the World Bank on three occasions.
The Development Committee, made up of finance and development ministers from industrialized and developing nations, advises the World Bank and IMF on key issues.