Prime Minister Hun Sen attended a dinner with Swiss company executives in Zurich on Monday, where he invited investors to join the upcoming ASEAN World Economic Forum (WEF), which Cambodia will host for the first time in May.
According to the premier’s Facebook page, Swiss investors responded that they are eager to invest in the Kingdom given its “stable political progress” and its “current economic potential”, and are open to attending the forum later this year to enhance trade and investment.
The meeting was held prior to the premier leading a delegation of Cambodian government officials to the Swiss ski resort of Davos yesterday to rub shoulders with the world’s business, political and media elite during the flagship WEF event. The four-day annual conference has a billed attendance of approximately 3,000 participants.
Hun Sen is accompanied by Transport Minister Sun Chanthol, Commerce Minister Pan Sorasak and Finance Minister Aun Pornmoniroth. Preparations are already underway for the WEF’s regional meeting in Phnom Penh.
Justin Wood, WEF’s head of the Asia Pacific region, said he anticipated a strong turnout at the upcoming Cambodia event, with about 750 participants from both in and beyond the ASEAN region.
“We will be raising awareness of the World Economic Forum on ASEAN in Phnom Penh in May with all participants in Davos, and we anticipate strong interest, both from business and from government, as well as from all the other communities here at Davos, such as academics and civil society leaders,” he said.
He added that the May meeting would focus on building off of WEF-sponsored initiatives into areas of agriculture and infrastructure.
While the Davos summit is the first for Chinese President Xi Jinping to attend, signifying China’s greater global economic participation, Wood could not confirm whether Xi is also scheduled to join the upcoming regional conference.
“There will certainly be other heads of state and heads of government visiting our summit in Cambodia,” he said.
