Deiss opens Davos with call for trade talks

Speaking at the WEF Joseph Deiss called for the resumption of stalled trade talks Keystone

The Swiss president, Joseph Deiss, has appealed for the resumption of world trade talks at the opening of the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos.

Welcoming more than 2,100 participants to the Swiss mountain resort, Deiss also called for greater global efforts to prevent conflicts.

“I appeal to the representatives of the business community to assume their share of social and ethical responsibility,” he said.

Deiss, who is Switzerland’s economics minister, formally launched a drive to inject new life into stalled world trade talks.

The current negotiations – known as the Doha round – ground to a halt at last year’s trade meeting in Cancun, Mexico, with differences over agricultural subsidies a major sticking point.

“We feel particularly strongly that the dialogue should continue,” said Deiss.

“It is for that reason that I have invited the director-general of the World Trade Organization and trade ministers present here in Davos for an appraisal of where we stand today.”

Security talk

Around 20 trade ministers and heads of state are expected to participate in the talks, which will take place during the five-day Davos meeting.

“Despite the difficulties encountered to date, I am confident that solutions will emerge and that the Doha round will be completed,” said Deiss.

This year’s WEF summit looks set to be dominated by issues such as trade, conflicts in the Middle East and security.

“Here, in Davos, surrounded by several thousand soldiers and police, I believe we are rather well-placed to be talking about security and prosperity,” explained the Swiss president.

“All it takes is a single act of terrorism to put all that into doubt,” he said.

Clinton speech

Participants at Davos – many of whom were forced to battle through heavy snow to make it to Wednesday’s opening – also heard an address by the former United States president, Bill Clinton.

In an at times emotional speech, Clinton lamented the failure to find concrete solutions to many of the world’s problems.

He urged participants, who include some of the world’s most powerful business and political leaders, to find new ways of bridging the gap between rich and poor.

“You people are smart. You’ve done a lot of things. Devote some time while you’re here to thinking about how – if you really want an integrated world – we can have the investment, capacity building and organisation to achieve it,” Clinton told delegates.

“We’ve got the energy, the brainpower, we’ve got the generosity of spirit… [there is a] groaning yearning for this in the countries where people need it.

“And this is really what you can do at Davos: you can tell us how to organise the world of our dreams.”

Clinton’s speech, which was one of several highlights on day one of this year’s gathering, is to be followed by around 200 separate sessions in Davos.

Kielholz optimistic

Several high-profile business leaders and five of the country’s seven cabinet ministers are representing Switzerland at this year’s summit.

Walter Kielholz, chairman of Credit Suisse, told swissinfo that the meeting was imbued with a feeling of optimism for the first time in three or four years.

“I remember the WEF meetings of the late 90s – during the tech bubble and the stock bubble – at which there was a hysterical mood, a madness,” he said.

“And then I’ve seen meetings which have been extremely depressed, like the [post-September 11, 2001] New York summit.

“But now I feel – and the meeting’s only just started – that maybe the perfect storm is over and we can relax.”

Kielholz also rejected the frequent criticism that the WEF meeting is simply a get-together for the world’s elite where little is achieved.

“First of all, it is not just a bunch of wealthy people,” he said. “It’s a large group of very interesting people, a lot of them are very wealthy, but they all have something very interesting to say.”

swissinfo, Jacob Greber in Davos

Key facts

The WEF is hosting some 2,100 participants.
This year’s conference is expected to focus on issues such as trade, the Middle East and security.
Switzerland is represented at the WEF by a number of business leaders and five cabinet ministers.