GENEVA (AP) – The organizers of the World Economic Forum are expecting leaders including Chinese President Xi Jinping, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa for a virtual meeting next week – after the COVID-19 pandemic plans for the annual personal event in Davos, Switzerland.
The forum expects to hold its annual meeting in Singapore in May in person.
Forum founder Klaus Schwab said the goal of the virtual “Davos Agenda” meeting starting January 25 is to restore trust and engage all stakeholders in business, government, civil society and beyond to help build a “more peaceful and prosperous post-corona era”. “
The event runs throughout the week with daily themes on topics such as economic systems, responsible growth, collaboration and harnessing technologies in the 4th industrial revolution – a common theme at Davos events.
Borge Brende, the forum’s president, said Xi and Modi will also be joined by Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and South Korean President Moon Jae-in for the event, and such leaders will reflect on “the role Asia will play. play in the recovery “.
Others expected include Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, French President Emmanuel Macron and Colombia’s President Ivan Duque.
The annual Davos event typically draws thousands of elites to the alpine snow to discuss ways to build a brighter future.