Gaza, Ukraine, trade and the Red Sea: geopolitics will dominate the annual meeting of the world’s political and economic elite, which begins Monday in Davos, AFP and Agerpres write.

The World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in the Swiss Alps is taking place “in the most difficult geopolitical and economic context in decades,” Borge Brende, who chairs the organization, acknowledged this week.

“The war in Gaza continues and there are fears of escalation,” he warned. “We will bring together key individuals to see how we can avoid further deterioration of the situation and to think about the future.”

Wars, climate change, diplomatic tensions between the US and China over Taiwan, attacks on merchant ships in the Red Sea: “Today’s geopolitics is like a circus performer juggling plates on sticks,” says Karen Harris, partner and economist at the consulting firm. Bain&Company.

Who is going to Davos?

In total, in addition to hundreds of economic leaders, more than 60 heads of state and government are expected to arrive in Davos, including Premier Li Qiang, who will be the most senior Chinese official since President Xi Jinping in 2017, who will attend the meeting immediately after the election in Taiwan.

Also present will be the new president of Argentina, the ultra-liberal Javier Millay, who has been compared to Donald Trump for his anti-establishment stance.

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, accompanied by White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Prime Ministers of Lebanon Najib Mikati, Qatar Mohammed bin Abdelrahman Al-Thani and Jordan Bisher al-Hasaune are also expected.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi, who previously addressed the leaders only in a video message, will come in person this year. He will also participate in a meeting of national security advisers of several countries on Sunday, ahead of the WEF.

French President Emmanuel Macron will deliver a speech on the topic “The role of France in Europe”, the organizers inform.

AI, climate and cyber security are also on the agenda

The ski resort will be under very strict supervision. About 5,000 Swiss soldiers take part in the security apparatus, which involves constant patrolling of fighter jets over the entire country.

The forum, dedicated to the theme of “restoring trust”, aims, in addition to world conflicts, to focus on artificial intelligence, which the organizers qualified as “a force for the economy and society”.

Among the big names of global capitalism, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and ChatGPT Open AI founder Sam Altman will be present.

Climate and cyber security are also high on the agenda, as are the risks of disinformation that could “undermine the legitimacy of newly elected governments,” according to the Global Risks Report released by the WEF ahead of the meeting and at the start of a big election year.

In addition to the risks of disinformation (false information but unintentionally spread) and disinformation (deliberately spread false information) “caused by artificial intelligence” and “societal polarization”, this year adds “concerns about the ongoing cost-of-living crisis”. , the Forum notes in a press release.

In addition to the official program, countless lunches, breakfasts, dinners and informal cocktails will be held in Davos for political and economic decision-makers – with the occasional sleigh ride – as they spend the week at 1,500 meters.

And every year it causes a lot of criticism. Swiss Young Socialists, who are calling for a demonstration on Sunday, again condemned this year’s event as a “closed meeting of the rich and powerful” who are “responsible for crises and wars”.