Davos - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev delivered his opening address at the World Economic Forum (WEF) on Wednesday with a call for tougher action against terrorism, two days after a bomb blast at a Moscow airport killed 35 people.
"All our efforts to further develop the world economy will be for nothing if we fail to defeat terrorism, extremism and intolerance, if we fail to eradicate altogether these evils which are the greatest danger to mankind," Medvedev told some 2 500 participants in the opening session.
"Success can not be ensured by states alone, but through broad dialogue with civil society. The pain from the loss of human lives will stay in our hearts for long and strengthen our resolve to find a solution to international terror," he added.
The timing of the bomb indicated those responsible "expected that their act would bring Russia to its knees" and force the president to cancel his trip to Davos, but "they miscalculated," Medvedev said.
He also outlined his government's plans for modernising the country's economy and sharpening Russia's global competitiveness.
"Our task is to turn Russia into a more attractive place for the best minds in the world," Medvedev said. "Russia is an open country that is already part of the world economy."
Earlier, Micheline Calmy-Rey, President of the Swiss Confederation and federal councilor of Foreign Affairs, welcomed participants.
"The gap between rich and poor is growing without relenting," she said. "Global justice is a prerequisite for sustainable development and we have to understand that our lifestyle is not sustainable."
The international community should "guarantee that resources are distributed in a way that benefits those who are most vulnerable," she said.
Calmy-Rey called for the creation of a "sustainability council" at the United Nations. "The world is so fragile so let's take care of it," she said.
In his remarks at the beginning of the session, Klaus Schwab, founder and executive chairperson of the World Economic Forum, warned of "global burnout," as the world focuses on responding to crises rather than on actively addressing challenges.
"We are all optimists here, but when we look at the big issues on the global agenda, there is pessimism. We do not want this meeting to be one of despair. You fight possible burnout with renewed self-confidence," Schwab said.
This should be "a meeting of constructive optimism," he added.
The 41st edition of the WEF's annual meeting kicked off on Wednesday in the Swiss ski resort of Davos. Over the next five days, over 2 500 political and business leaders will be meeting under the theme of Shared Norms for the New Reality.
