Pakistan PM Imran leaves for Switzerland to attend World Economic Forum; set to meet US president Trump

Prime Minister Imran Khan left for Switzerland to attend the World Economic Forum and meet the world leaders, including US President Donald Trump, on the sidelines of the annual event which kicked off at the ski resort town of Davos on Tuesday.

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Adviser on Commerce Abdul Razaq Dawood, Special Assistant on Overseas Pakistanis Zulfiqar Abbas Bukhari and Special Assistant National Security Division Mooed Yusuf are accompanying Prime Minister Khan on his visit, the Radio Pakistan reported. Adviser on Finance Abdul Hafeez Sheikh and Ambassador at large for Investments Ali Jehangir Siddiqui will also join the Prime Minister at Davos, it said.

Two key highlights of the Prime Minister's visit include keynote address at the World Economic Forum's Special Session and his interaction at the Pakistan Strategy Dialogue with CEOs and corporate leaders.

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On the sidelines, prime minister Khan will hold bilateral meetings with several world leaders, including US President Trump. Several meetings are also scheduled with a wide range of corporate, business, technology and finance executives and representatives of international financial institutions.

Khan will also speak to senior international journalists and editors during a session with the Forum's International Media Council, the report said.
The Time magazine has also featured Khan, among other global leaders, on the cover for its special edition of the World Economic Forum.

The special Davos issue features prime minister Khan, Microsoft founder, and philanthropist Bill Gates, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, World Economic Forum (WEF) Executive Chairman Klaus Schwab, and European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde astride a ski-lift with snow-covered Swiss Alps in the background.

Trump and climate activist Greta Thunberg can also be seen sitting together on another chairlift in the background of the illustration. The cover is headlined 'Next Gen World', with the story promising to highlight how young leaders are helping the globe. The WEF summit began on Tuesday and will last four days. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the forum.

A total of 53 heads of State are on the guest list. Nearly 3,000 participants from 118 countries are expected to attend the event during which political leaders, business executives, heads of international organizations and civil society representatives are set to deliberate on contemporary economic, geopolitical, social and environmental issues.