DAVOS (Sputnik) – The official program includes numerous panel discussions to be held on January 20-23, in addition to closed meetings and private events bringing together politicians, business leaders and celebrities in the Swiss ski village.
Some of the key issues to be addressed in Davos include security, energy transition, healthcare, technology and other innovation challenges and prospects. Public figures are expected to address the global refugee crisis, climate change and rising gender and income inequalities. Several regions of the world would be in the spotlight, including the Arab world, China, Canada, and India.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, UK's David Cameron, Finland's Finance Minster Alexander Stubb, Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz, and France's Laurent Fabius are among the long list of politicians.
They will be joined by the CEOs of international businesses and heads of international organizations such as the OECD, UNESCO, WTO, IMF, WHO, and AIIB.
International media are expecting a keynote speech by Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who would talk to the media for the first time since announcing Implementation Day of the landmark nuclear deal last weekend.
The forum is also anticipated to become a venue for the meeting between the leaders of the two Cypruses. Turkish and Greek Cypriot leaders, President Mustafa Akinci and Nicos Anastasiades, could hammer out the basis for resolving the territorial conflict at the forum's sidelines.
This year's WEF was set to see a first representative from North Korea, until the country's invitation was withdrawn after Pyongyang announced it successfully tested a hydrogen bomb earlier this year.
