Merkel, Macron, Xi and Modi to Speak at Virtual Davos Forum

(Bloomberg) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping, his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel will be among the speakers at the online event the World Economic Forum is holding instead of its usual meeting in the Swiss ski resort of Davos.

Also in attendance at the conference running from Jan. 25 to Jan. 29 will be Japan’s Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Geneva-based organization said.

With the global economy in the throes of its worst crisis in living memory, including spiraling joblessness and inequality, topics proposed by the WEF range from fair economic and social systems to digitization and the climate crisis.

On-hand to debate the issues will also be European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde and Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey -- along with International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva.

Economic growth needs to be “more resilient, more inclusive and more sustainable,” Founder Klaus Schwab said at a briefing on Monday.

The WEF’s annual meeting, typically held each January in the mountain resort, features world leaders, central bankers, corporate executives as well as celebrities and billionaires. The in-person event has been postponed due to the pandemic and is now scheduled to take place in Singapore in May.

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