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WEF calls off 2021 Singapore summit

By AFP - May 17,2021 - Last updated at May 17,2021

GENEVA — The World Economic Forum (WEF) announced on Monday that it had called off its planned annual gathering of the world's political, economic and business elite, which had been set for August in Singapore.

"Regretfully, the tragic circumstances unfolding across geographies, an uncertain travel outlook, differing speeds of vaccination rollout and the uncertainty around new variants combine to make it impossible to realise a global meeting with business, government and civil society leaders from all over the world at the scale which was planned," the WEF said in a statement. 

The Geneva-based institution said the next annual meeting would instead take place in the first half of 2022, with the date and location to be determined later this year.

"It was a difficult decision, particularly in view of the great interest of our partners to come together not just virtually but in person, and to contribute to a more resilient, more inclusive and more sustainable world," said WEF Executive Chairman Klaus Schwab.

"But ultimately the health and safety of everyone concerned is our highest priority."

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