When Abdullah addressed the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London earlier this week, he highlighted the importance of resolving the issue of Palestine.
The Prime Minister had said that he believed that much of the roots of conflict and instability in the Middle East would disappear if the Palestinian issue was resolved justly and equitably in accordance with the United Nations resolutions and other relevant decisions.
DAVOS (Switzerland), Jan 24 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi arrived here on Tuesday evening to attend the World Economic Forum (WEF) beginning Thursday.
He was met on arrival by Malaysia's ambassador to Switzerland, Datuk Mohd Yusof Ahmad, at the Zurich airport, about two hours by road from here.
Abdullah arrived at the Morosani Schweizerhorf Hotel at Davos Platz in the heart of this mountain town shortly after 9pm local time.
A busy programme awaits him beginning Wednesday.
The three key events for Abdullah at the WEF are his opening remarks at a plenary session on Thursday on "Rules for a global neighbourhood in a multicultural world", another plenary session on "Asean's 40 years -- a new future" (Friday) and a working breakfast on Saturday morning with world leaders attending the WEF to deliberate the "US policy directions following the Congressional mid-term elections".
In the plenary session on "Rules for a global neighbourhood in a multicultural world", the participants include Mohammad Khatami, former President of Iran, and Chief Rabbi David Rossen, president of the International Jewish Community for Inter-religious Relations of the United States.
It will deliberate on the main issues characterising the current West-Islam dialogue and whether concrete actions could be take to resolve differences.
In this respect, the Prime Minister is expected to drive home the point that various tensions now affecting the West and Islam could be eased if these issues were resolved justly and equitably.
When Abdullah addressed the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London earlier this week, he highlighted the importance of resolving the issue of Palestine.
The Prime Minister had said that he believed that much of the roots of conflict and instability in the Middle East would disappear if the Palestinian issue was resolved justly and equitably in accordance with the United Nations resolutions and other relevant decisions.
He had told his audience that while many in the West had perceived the defining moment in the clash between the West and the Muslim world was the Al Qaeda attacks on Sept 11, 2001, for the Muslim world the critical point occurred much earlier when hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were driven out of their homeland for the creation of Israel out of Arab land.
Abdullah also said that the partiality of the United States and the West to Israel remained "the single most powerful factor dividing the Muslim world and the West".
Meanwhile, as part of the Malaysia's efforts to promote itself in various fields internationally, the Prime Minister will host the WEF gala soiree on Saturday night.
There will be a multi-cultural performance, a video presentation entitled "Malaysia on the move" and cultural performance by Malaysian artistes.
Besides these events, Abdullah will hold bilateral meetings with a number of world leaders and global corporate chiefs currently attending the WEF.
-- BERNAMA
