DAVOS: The 2022 annual meeting of the World Economic Forum opened in Davos, Switzerland on Sunday, 22 May, under the theme, "History at a Turning Point: Government Policies and Business Strategies."
Prime Minister Hun Sen is among the over 50 heads of state and government attending the conference, for which he departed on 21 May.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cambodia has confirmed that the Prime Minister will hold work meetings with some leaders of countries, and also receive courtesy calls from political and business dignitaries.
Upon arriving in Davos, the Prime Minister met with over 2,000 Cambodians living in Europe on the night of 21 May. While addressing the meeting, he said that his presence in Switzerland led more than 10 Cambodians to protest against his arrival, which the Prime Minister said he considers a part of the democratic process.
Moreover, the Prime Minister continued to urge the Cambodian people who support the government to be patient with the protests from the opposition so that Cambodia can unite all people.
The Prime Minister also recalled a visit to France last year when there were some protests held against him. At that time, he said that he similarly told Cambodian CPP and government supporters to be patient and to keep the situation under control.
During his stay in Switzerland, the Prime Minister is expected to deliver the opening speech of “Cambodia Night,” an event organized by the WorldBridge Group with the aim of promoting foreign business in Cambodia. The Prime Minister is also expected to deliver a closing speech with stakeholders on "Strategic Perspectives on ASEAN" and at an informal luncheon with world economic leaders under the theme "Restoring Peace and Order.”
The World Economic Forum's annual meeting was interrupted for two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This year’s offline annual meeting was originally scheduled to be held in Davos in January this year but was later postponed to May due to the outbreak of the Omicron variant.
Nearly 2,500 guests from all walks of life are attending this annual meeting, including about 300 government representatives, of which more than 50 are heads of state and government, and more than 1,250 leaders from the private sector.
The major topics of this year's meeting include geo-economic challenges, post-pandemic economic recovery, and the Ukraine crisis.
