Trump to attend WEF gathering in Davos

US President Donald Trump attends the College Football Playoff National Championship game between the University of Alabama and the University of Georgia in Atlanta, Georgia, on January 8, 2018 marketing

United States President Donald Trump plans to attend the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland later this month, his spokeswoman said on Tuesday.

In a statement, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary, said Trump was looking forward to attending the annual gatheringExternal link of world leaders and business executives in the mountain resort in southeast Switzerland.

“The president welcomes opportunities to advance his America First agenda with world leaders,” Sanders said. “At this year’s World Economic Forum, the president looks forward to promoting his policies to strengthen American businesses, American industries, and American workers.”

Martin Naville, president of the Swiss-American Chamber of Commerce, believes that Trump wants to be at the centre of this year’s WEF meeting.

“He is most interested in talking to business leaders,” Naville told the SRF public television’s 10 vor 10 news programme.  

Fractures in society

The theme of this year’s Davos conference, which will take place from January 23-26, is to examine the causes of and solutions for political, economic and social fractures in society.

Some 3,000 business people, government officials and other movers and shakers are expected to attend the elite gathering in the Swiss resort. French President Emmanuel Macron has already announced his plans to attend.

Last year’s WEF was dominated by reaction to Trump’s surprise election victory and his campaign. The last American president to make the trip to Davos was the Democrat Bill Clinton in 2000.