PM Rutte headed to Davos with Dijsselbloem, Queen Máxima

Prime Minister Mark Rutte will attend this year's meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland this week. Finance Minister and Eurogroup President Jeroen Dijsselbloem, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation Lillianne Ploumen, and Minister for Health, Welfare and Sport Edith Schippers will also attend the forum in Davos. Queen Máxima will also join several panels and bilateral talks in her capacity as a representative of the United Nations. The Dutch Queen is also the UN Secretary General's Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development, a role she has held since 2009. "Queen Máxima works worldwide to make financial services available for everyone, including those from low income groups and small- and mid-sized businesses," the Dutch royal house says in a statement. The Dutch ministers will be involved in conversations and information sessions run by international colleagues, business leaders and economists. The Prime Minister will attend Davos on Wednesday and Thursday, while Minister Dijsselbloem will be present from Wednesday to Friday, Minister Ploumen from Wednesday to Saturday, and Minister Schippers on Thursday and Friday. The WEF is an international event, attended annually by about two thousand politicians, representatives of businesses and international organizations, academics and journalists. It is one of the most important events worldwide for business, economics and politics. This year's event is the 45th meeting and runs from the 21st to the 24th of January and is themed 'The New Global Context'. According to the event's website, the theme was chosen due to the "profound political, economic, social, and above all, technological transformations" affecting the current global economic arena. In a pre-meeting press conference, Founder and Executive Chairman of WEF, Klaus Schwab said that the priorities of this year's meeting include ensuring "a strong cooperation between the private and the public sector", which Schwab says is vital to solving world issues.