President Dmitry Medvedev will arrive late for the 41st annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where he is scheduled to give the Wednesday keynote speech.
The announcement of Medvedev's delayed departure from Moscow was made on Monday as he dealt with the aftermath of the explosion at Domodedovo Airport — but his trip has not been canceled.
The President's press secretary, Natalya Timakova, said Tuesday that Medvedev will miss his scheduled meeting with the Switzerland president Tuesday evening, but declined to comment on any other changes to his plans, Interfax reported.
Medvedev is likely to face difficult questions over Russia's legal system and his personal legacy at Davos. The blogging section of the Forum's web site hosted a poll of questions, the most popular of which will be put to Medvedev.
A total of 154 questions have been posted. The top four address, respectively, the issue of an extension to former oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky's jail sentence, Medvedev's legacy in history textbooks 200 years from now, Russia's failure to implement more than 150 rulings by the European Court of Human Rights, and the case of Sergei Magnitsky, a lawyer who died in police custody in 2009. Polling has now ended.
Dvorkovich, Medvedev's economic aide, said Friday that the gathering will be an important test of investor reaction to recent events in Russia.
Medvedev is due to begin his participation at Davos with a closed-door session of the International Business Council alongside more than 100 global businesspeople on Wednesday morning. This will be followed later on by his opening address.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin also confirmed on Tuesday that his departure for Switzerland will be delayed by the Domodedovo terrorist attack, Interfax reported. He had been due to take part in discussions about the modernization of the country’s economy in general, and Moscow's situation in particular.
The World Economic Forum in Davos is the biggest networking event on the planet and is attended by more than 2,000 politicians, business leaders and a smattering of celebrities from around the world.
