PM Plenkovic arrives in Davos to attend World Economic Forum panels

FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP

Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic arrived on Thursday at the Swiss ski resort of Davos to take part in the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF), which brings together global political and business leaders.

On the first day of the two-day meeting, Plenkovic will take part in two debates. The first one, called Globalisation 4.0, will gather world’s business leaders, with WEF president Borge Brende as the moderator. The other panel discussion that Plenkovic will attend will be titled “The New Impetus for Europe.”

On Thursday, Plenkovic is also expected to hold a number of bilateral meetings with global business leaders, a meeting with the secretary general of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Jose Angel Gurria Trevino, and leader of the German CDU party, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer.

On Friday, Plenkovic will take part in a panel debate on creating a stronger partnership for growth and peace in the Western Balkans. He will also hold talks with Prime Minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Denis Zvizdic.

About 3,000 business, government and civil society figures have gathered in the snow-blanketed ski resort.

Although the Davos summit has gained a high profile in recent years, this time some of the leader’s of the world’s largest economies said they would not attend.

US President Donald Trump pulled out of this year’s event amid a partial US government shutdown. British Prime Minister, Theresa May, and French President, Emmanuel Macron, are also not attending this year, with Macron dealing with the aftermath of the so-called Yellow Vests protests and May struggling to find domestic consensus on the terms of Britain’s Brexit.

The event will also not be attended by the presidents of Russia, Vladimir Putin, and China, Xi Jinping.

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