Augustin Carstens
Mexico's Central Bank Governor Agustin Carstens attends a news conference with Brazil's Finance Minister Guido Mantega (unseen) in Brasilia, June 1, 2011. REUTERS /Ueslei Marcelino

Agustin Carstens, Mexico's central bank chief believes that he is better qualified than his main rival to run the International Monetary Fund owing to more experience and better knowledge of the institution that he has, he told Reuters in an interview on Wednesday.

Carstens said that he has a similar agenda to French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde, the only other declared candidate for the post, viewing the euro zone crisis as the biggest threat to global economic growth.

Carstens, who is visiting Brazil to promote his candidacy, said that supporting the political transition in the Middle East and pushing quota reforms to broaden representation at the Washington-based IMF would be his other priorities.