WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump plans to meet leaders of Pakistan, Iraq, Switzerland and European Union during his visit to Davos this week, the White House said on Monday.

The meeting with President Barham Saleh will be the first between Trump and Iraqi officials since tensions erupted over the killing of a top Iranian general and a senior pro-Iranian Iraqi commander in a US airstrike in Baghdad earlier this month.

After calls in Iraq for the expulsion of thousands of US troops stationed there, Trump responded by threatening sanctions aimed at wrecking the country’s economy.

Trump, who arrives in Davos for the annual World Economic Forum get-together on Tuesday (today) and leaves on Wednesday, will also meet European Commission head Ursula von der Leyen, the White House said.

Their talks will come just after France and the United States agreed to extend negotiations on avoiding what could be a punishing trans-Atlantic trade war.

Trump is also due to meet Prime Minister Imran Khan, Simonetta Sommaruga, the president of the Swiss Confederation, and Kurdish leader Nechirvan Barzani.

The meetings will take place on the sidelines of the Davos conference, which this year is focusing heavily on climate emergency and social inequality.

PM Khan will attend the WEF from Jan 21 to 23, at the invitation of Prof Klaus Schwab, founder and executive chairman of the Forum.

The thematic focus of this session is on `Stakeholders for a Cohesive and Sustainable World’.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Forum. In keeping with the significance of this milestone, political leaders, business executives, heads of international organisations and civil society representatives will deliberate on contemporary economic, geopolitical, social and environmental issues.

Two key highlights of the visit include the prime minister’s keynote address at the WEF special session, and his interaction at the `Pakistan Strategy Dialogue’ with the chief executive officers and corporate leaders, a Foreign Office press release on Monday said.

On the sidelines, the prime minister will hold bilateral meetings with several world leaders. This will be the third leadership-level interaction between Pakistan and the United States since the prime minister’s visit to Washington in July 2019.

PM Khan will also speak to senior international media persons and editors during a session with the Forum’s international media council. Throughout his engagements at Davos, PM Khan will share Pakistan’s vision and achievements in the areas of economy, peace and stability, trade, business and investment opportunities.

He will highlight the current situation in India-held Jammu and Kashmir, and Pakistan’s perspective on key regional and international issues.

Published in Dawn, January 21st, 2020