Iran: Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif to skip World Economic Forum

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif will be skipping the 50th World Economic Forum Summit after another event that he had planned to take part in was moved.

Iran's Foreign Minister Javad Zarif has decided to skip this year's meeting of the World Economic Forum, according to reports. A spokesperson reported that Zarif was supposed to attend a different event that was later postponed. The annual summit which will take place in the Swiss resort of Davos has been recently overshadowed by rising tensions between Iran and the United States.

World Economic Forum summit to start on Jan 21

Spokesperson Abbas Mousavi said the programme had been earlier agreed upon but then something else came up because of which this trip would be impossible for the Foreign Minister. The Davos summit will be beginning on Tuesday and is supposed to last 4 days. 

However, tensions have been high between Iran and the United States after a US drone strike killed Iran's top general, Qasem Soleimani, on January 3. Iran responded to the provocation five days later by launching missile strikes at US troops stationed in Iraq.

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World Economic Forum Summit

In the past, Davos has been known for rapid-fire corporate dealmaking consisting of cocktail-fuelled soirees, but organisers insist that there will be equal emphasis on such soirees and hearings on climate change. This year's guests will include some big names like Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg and the co-creator of the anti-finance movement Occupy Wall Street, Micah White.

White had been earlier quoted saying that him attending Davos would be akin to reputational suicide but he believes that an alliance albeit a difficult one is needed between activists and members of the social and economic elite.

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An alliance, White states is the bare minimum that has to be achieved if the World Economic Forum wants to live up to its slogans of 'improving the state of the world'. The World Economic Forum known as Davos first began in 1971, under the guidance of German economist Klaus Schwab, it was a cosy Alpine get-together for European businessmen.

Moscovici added Schwab's attempts to broaden the horizons of the forum's agendas are sincere attempts to enhance dialogue. On the other hand, many have criticised the forum for the fact that many of the CEO's that attend the forum come in their private jets that undercuts the World Economic Forum's climate change commitments. Many people still remain highly unimpressed by the what World Economic Forum represents, even in its 50th year.