(Bloomberg) — Donald Trump will speak virtually in Davos just three days after his inauguration as US president in what is likely to be one of the most closely watched appearances at the World Economic Forum.
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His participation so soon after entering the White House promises to be one of the highlights of the annual elite gathering in the Swiss mountain resort, where more than 60 heads of state and government are slated to attend from Jan. 20-24.
Trump’s remarks will ensure that the leadership of the US, China and the European Union are all represented in some form, according to the forum. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will be there in person, as will Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and Argentine President Javier Milei will be among other world leaders there. German Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck will attend the event just one month before his country goes to the polls in snap elections, and the UK’s embattled chancellor of the exchequer, Rachel Reeves, will be among finance ministers present.
“It is happening against the most complicated geopolitical backdrop in generations,” WEF President Borge Brende told a news conference on Tuesday.
The forum’s 55th meeting will take place amid persisting concerns over possible trade wars following Trump’s statements about increasing tariffs, and with conflicts raging in the Middle East and Ukraine. His threats over commerce have already driven up longer-term borrowing costs around the world, International Monetary Fund chief Kristalina Georgieva has said.
She will be in Davos too, along with other prior attendees including European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde and BlackRock Inc. Chairman Larry Fink. The forum will host 3,000 participants from more than 130 countries.
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