P-noy to speak at WEF event this week
President Aquino was invited to give the keynote speech at the Partnership Against Corruption event during the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland this week, Malacaang said yesterday.
Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said the President accepted the invitation by the organizers of the WEF and would be leaving for Davos on Wednesday at around 11 p.m.
He will be joined by Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario, Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, Budget Secretary Florencio Abad, Trade Secretary Gregory Domingo, National Economic and Development Authority director-general Arsenio Balisacan, Secretary to the Cabinet Rene Almendras and Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office Secretary Ricky Carandang.
Among the events that the President will be attending in Davos is the informal gathering of world economic leaders, which Valte said would pave the way for a discussion on global economic issues with other world leaders who have also been invited.
The President will also speak at the anticorruption forum where he will share the Philippine experience in battling corruption, Valte said over dzRB.
“President Aquino will have the opportunity to meet and to discuss issues with global business leaders as part of our continuing pitch that the Philippines is under new management and that we are open for business,” Valte said.
She said there would be opportunities for the President to discuss what the Philippines had been doing, given that the Philippine economy had so far been surpassing expectations in light even of the global economic slowdown.
“So apart from his special keynote address at the Partnering Against Corruption Initiative, which will happen, I think, on the 24th (of January), there are also opportunities for the President to interact with other heads of state invited as well as global economic leaders,” Valte said.
Valte said there were no bilateral meetings set yet but the President would have at least 10 meetings, including one with the Filipino community in Zurich on Jan. 26.
She said the President would be back in Manila on Jan. 27.
This is the first trip of Aquino for this year and to Davos for the WEF.