Russia will support Jim Yong Kim, the U.S.-nominated candidate for World Bank presidency, Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said Friday.

"Considering Mr. Kim's high professional qualities and his experience and knowledge, the Russian Federation will support Jim Yong Kim's candidacy during the voting at the World Bank's Board of Directors," Siluanov told reporters after his meeting with Kim.

Siluanov said the BRICS countries, the grouping of emerging economies including Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, have set professional qualities as top demand in evaluating the candidates, which also include Nigerian finance minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and former Colombian finance minister Jose Antonio Ocampo .

"Mr. Kim is a world-class professional who is familiar with practical works and has occupied leading posts at major international organizations," Siluanov said.

Kim, a Korean-American known for fighting disease in poor countries, is the president of Dartmouth College and former director of the HIV/AIDS department at the World Health Organization.

The World Bank is expected to pick its president at its annual spring meetings in Washington DC in late April, to replace American Robert Zoellick, whose term ends at the end of June.

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