ISLAMABAD: The World Economic Forum (WEF) in a letter Thursday (today) clarified that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was invited by the Forum and said it was “delighted” over his participation in the Annual Meeting at Davos Klosters.
The World Economic Forum Head of Media Operations and Events, Yann Zopf, in a letter from Geneva, Switzerland of January 25 clarified that the agenda of the prime minister was prepared “in consultation with his office, keeping in view their objectives and key priorities.”
Read more: PM Nawaz meets Bill Gates at WEF
“This included several meetings with key leaders from business and politics,” the letter said and pointed that being the sixth largest country in the world, Pakistan was an important global player and the World Economic Forum looks forward to engaging the country in its system initiatives and projects through public-private cooperation.
The clarification was in response to a report by a local English Daily on; “Nawaz forbidden from making a speech in Davos due to a corruption investigation.”
Yann Zopf hoped that the reporter would reflect the facts in his article accordingly.
The prime minister during his visit to Switzerland held meetings with top global business leaders and representatives besides sideline meetings with top world leaders.
His meetings included a bilateral meeting with his Norwegian counterpart Erna Solberg, Prime Minister of Sweden Stefan L” fan, President of the Swiss Confederation Doris Leuthard, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
The prime minister also held a meeting with the WEF Chairman Klaus Schwab besides a roundtable meeting with the heads of top ranking companies offered them to invest in Pakistan.
Read more: Pakistan ahead of India in development index: WEF Report
The chief executive officers (CEOs) present at the roundtable included Tadashi Maeda, Chief Executive Officer, Executive Managing Director, Japan Bank for International Cooperation, Tokyo, Japan, Ms Ilele Gordon, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman, Ingredion Incorporated, USA, Levent Cakiroglu, Chief Executive Officer, Koc Holding,
Turkey, Sigve Brekke, President and Chief Executive Officer,
Telenor Group, Norway, Ms Wang Ling, Executive Vice President, Nestle, Ms Petra Lox, Head Public Affairs, Novartis AG, Switzerland, Martyn Parker, Chairman, Global Partnerships, Swiss Re Management Ltd United Kingdom, Western Europe.
The prime minister also had a meeting with Bill Gates, entrepreneur and head of the Melinda Gates Foundation, Chairman Alibaba Group Jack Ma.
The prime minister also held meetings with Group CEO of VimpelCom, Jean Charlie; CEO Procter and Gamble and CEO of Standard Chartered Bank Jose Vinals on the margins of the 47th World Economic Forum.
Why such detailed explanation if everything was alright. The fact is he was not allowed to make a speech. Any dignified forum would not have such guests.
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