TEHRAN – Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday left the Iranian capital for Switzerland to attend an annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) to be held at Davos from January 20 to 25. He will also visit CERN (European Organisation for Nuclear Research), one of the foremost international centers of scientific research. At the WEF Annual Meeting 2016, some 3,000 heads of state and government, top business leaders, academics and media leaders are expected to attend. PM Nawaz would participate in a number of global events and hold bilateral meetings with important political and business leaders. In an event focusing on South Asia, the prime minister would highlight his government efforts for regional stability and connectivity. Other participants in this event will include Sri Lankas’ Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, the president of the Asian Development Bank, and Nobel Peace Prize Winner Muhammad Yunus of Bangladesh. The prime minister would also address about 100 business leaders on “Pakistan – a land of business opportunities” at a breakfast meeting organised by the Pathfinder Group. He will also participate in a WEF lunch of the Informal Gathering of World Economic Leaders (IGWEL) in which he will interact with around 80 top business and political leaders. The World Economic Forum annual meeting provides an unparalleled platform for global leaders across business, government, international organisations, academia and civil society to discuss wide ranging economic and political issues. Participation in WEF would provide the prime minister an opportunity to project Pakistan as a prime destination for business, investment and trade. PM Nawaz would also visit the CERN in Geneva. Pakistan and CERN have been collaborating since 1994, and carried out a number of successful projects involving sophisticated technologies. Pakistan became an associate member of CERN last year. Pakistan has the distinction of being the first associate member of CERN from Asia. The prime minister’s visit to CERN will be a demonstration of the government’s strong commitment to the promotion of science and technology in Pakistan.