Virtual Davos Summit: PM Modi To Deliver Special Address At This Time

New Delhi: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping will deliver special addresses on the opening day of the World Economic Forum’s five-day online Davos Agenda summit on January 17.

According to PMO, Modi will deliver the ‘State of the World’ address at 8.30 pm (IST) on Monday via video-conferencing.

The Swiss ski resort town of Davos has been hosting WEF’s annual meeting for 50 years. But it could not take place in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and has been deferred till later this year, reported NDTV Profit. The virtual summit ‘Davos Agenda’ summit, however, is set to be held for the second straight year on the originally-scheduled dates in physical form.

The Chinese Premier will kick off the summit on Monday, followed by virtual sessions on COVID-19 and technology cooperation in the fourth industrial revolution. The Indian PM’s special address will be followed by United Nations’ Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ address.

Besides addresses by several other world leaders, there will be special sessions on global social contract and challenges of vaccine equity. Among those who will attend those sessions are World Health Oorganization head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and Serum Institute of India CEO Adar Poonawalla.