The chief ministers of three states along with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman are expected to participate in the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) at Swiss ski resort Davos from May 22-26 this year.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Karnataka CM Basavaraj S. Bommai and their Andhra Pradesh counterpart Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy will accompany high-level delegations to Davos to showcase the country’s economic strength.
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The summit is “not just about attracting investments” but also a platform to present India’s environment and ecosystem, The Hindu quoted Bommai as saying ahead of the summit.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had addressed the WEF Davos Agenda summit held online in January this year.
WEF returns after two years
The World Economic Forum 2022 will be held after a two-year break due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The last time the WEF was held at the alpine retreat was in January 2020.
However, unlike the traditional winter timing of the Davos World Economic Forum Summit, this year’s edition will be held amid spring-like temperatures of around 20 degrees Celsius.
Theme and topics
The theme for the 2022 World Economic Forum is ‘History at a Turning Point: Government Policies and Business Strategies.’
The leaders will talk about humanitarian and security challenges in the backdrop of the geopolitical tensions and the once-in-a-century pandemic. Climate change will also feature in the talks.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will be discussed by business leaders and politicians given the giant leap in global food prices as a consequence of the war.
Who all are participating?
According to the organisers, nearly 2,500 people, including political leaders, business heads, champions of the civil society and the media, will be in Davos next week to debate and find solutions for the most urgent global issues like the ongoing pandemic and the war in Ukraine. In 2020, there were 3,000 participants.
Over 50 heads of governments and organisations, including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, European Union Chief Ursula von der Leyen, NATO Head Jens Stoltenberg and US climate Envoy John Kerry will be present at Davos next week.
Who's not invited?
Russian President Vladimir Putin will not attend the meeting this year as the organisers have excluded the Russian contingent in view of the sanctions imposed by the West on Moscow over the Ukraine conflict.
"We do hope, though, that Russia will follow a different path ... in the years to come to start to stick to the UN charter and to their obligations," AFP quoted WEF president Borge Brende as saying.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will, however, address the summit online while a few officials from the country will attend the meeting in person.
