"Komsomolskaya Pravda": "PRIME MINISTER PUTIN FINISHING DAVOS SPEECH ON THE PLANE"
Prime Minister Putin opened the World Economic Forum yesterday
Prime Minister arrived in Zurich yesterday evening with almost an hour delay due to the fog in Moscow. During the three-hour-long flight, Mr. Putin read through the speech that he was preparing to present in Davos, proofreading the text and making last minute corrections. He continued editing the text on his way to Davos, as well.
It appears that the organizers of the forum had been trying to invite Putin to Davos since summer. His new status as Prime Minister made their task easier, while the world financial crisis made Mr. Putin more interested in the forum.
In addition, this was the first time that Russia had been given an opportunity to open the Davos Forum. The Prime Minister will speak about the causes of the economic crisis and the ways to overcome it. (The speech had yet to start at the time this paper was released).
Upon his arrival in Davos yesterday, the Prime Minister's press secretary Dmitry Peskov spoke to Komsomolskaya Pravda (KP).
"As far as I know, Mr. Putin will not only speak about the crisis, but will also lay out his views on the post-crisis period and the need to modify the existing global economic order to avoid more crises in the future. It is possible that the gas issue may be raised during discussions in Davos. The Prime Minister is ready to explain Russia's position and to provide guarantees that our country still remains attractive for foreign investments and has a great potential for future growth."
The downhill skiing season is in full swing in Davos. Mr. Putin, however will have no time for skiing, as his schedule will be extremely busy. (KP has learned that Putin did not bring skis with him). On his agenda are bilateral meetings with the leaders of China, Poland, Mongolia, and Armenia, as wells other high level figures. Putin will also meet with the International Business Council and the International Media Council.
Over 2,500 participants from 96 countries (including 40 heads of state) have gathered in Davos to discuss ways of overcoming the global economic crisis. This is the largest number of participants in the forum's history.
