US President Donald Trump plans to attend the annual World Economic Forum in Davos (Switzerland) next year. This is reported by Bloomberg, citing sources "familiar with the White House chief's plans," UNN reports.
Details
According to the authors of the article, this signals a warming of relations between the US and Switzerland.
Trump plans to visit Switzerland with a large delegation. ... Trump was not present at the January meeting, which took place shortly after his inauguration, instead communicating with participants via video link. His presence will be a boon for the Forum
At the same time, an unnamed White House official said that although Trump is expected to attend the Davos forum, plans have not yet been fully finalized and could still change.
Context
For the Swiss government, Trump's appearance will provide an opportunity to reset relations with the White House, as the country's executive power will be taken over by Economy Minister Guy Parmelin. He is to take over as Swiss president from Karin Keller-Sutter on January 1.
Keller-Sutter failed to conclude a trade deal with her American counterpart this year. After a heated phone call between the two leaders, Trump decided to impose 39% tariffs on Swiss exports, the highest among all developed economies. The tariffs have been in effect since August, and since then Swiss officials have tried to renegotiate the deal.
According to Bloomberg, Switzerland is close to concluding an improved agreement with the US on tariffs of 15%, instead of the current 39%.