Press release 18 March 2008
Prime Minister's Office

Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt to host Nordic Davos in Riksgränsen

Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt will host the first ever Nordic Globalisation Forum on 8-9 April 2008 in Riksgränsen.

The subject of the meeting in Riksgränsen is "A competitive Nordic region in a globalised world". The Nordic region faces a number of challenges both in terms of economic developments and with regard to the state of climate and energy issues. The main theme of the forum will therefore be the future ability to maintain competitiveness and welfare and to manage the challenge of climate change.

During the meeting in Riksgränsen, the prime ministers will also make excursions to the top of Riksgränsen mountain and other destinations.

The five Nordic prime ministers will meet with representatives of trade and industry, the media, the research community, individuals and NGOs in the Nordic countries.

Participants will include Vattenfall CEO Lars Josefsson, Irene Wennemo of the Swedish Trade Union Confederation, Telenor CEO Jon Fredrik Baksaas, Jörgen Ejböl of JP/Politiken, Nordic Council President Erkki Tuomioja, globalisation expert Johan Norberg, County Governor Per Unckel and Thorsteinn Palsson, editor-in-chief of Frettabladid. The forum will be moderated by freelance journalist Annika Ström Melin.

The participants in Riksgränsen will jointly discuss and develop ideas about globalisation. The forum is intended to inspire and advise the Nordic prime ministers and Nordic cooperation as a whole.

To provide further inspiration for the discussions, globalisation experts Professor Jagdish N. Bhagwati of Columbia University, Quentin Peel, leader writer for the Financial Times, and Professor André Sapir of Université Libre in Brussels will also take part.

The Globalisation Forum, which is being held during the Swedish Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers, is being arranged in cooperation with the Nordic Council of Ministers. The ministers responsible for Nordic cooperation in the five countries will also participate, as will representatives of the inter-parliamentary cooperation in the Nordic Council.

Programme points

Tuesday 8 April

13.30 Welcomemingle in the reception area.

13.50 Photo opportunity outside the main entrance.

14.45 Opening plenary session.
Introductory remarks from Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt and Secretary General Halldór Ásgrímsson.
Presentation of the `globalisation barometer´ by Dr Christian Ketels and speech by Professor Jagdish N. Bhagwati of Columbia University.

15.45 Moderator Annika Ström Melin introduces the workshops.

16.00-18.00 Workshops.
Parallel programme for the media.

19.45 Music preformance on the ice.

20.15 Forum dinner on the ice.
Speech by Mr. Quentin Peel.
Photo opportunity at the start of dinner.

Wednesday 9 April

Wednesday 9 April

08.30 Plenary session. Speech by Professor André Sapir.

08.50 Presentations from workshops and plenary debate.

09.40 Coffee break.

10.00 Debate begins.

11.40 Summing up by Moderator Annika Ström Melin.

11.55 Forum ends.

12.00 Joint press conference.

Approx. 12.00 Buffet lunch

13.00 Departure/transfer to Kiruna.

Advance registration is obligatory for media representatives. Please contact the persons below no later than 25 March, as the number of places is limited both at the meeting and in the transport provided to Riksgränsen.

Welcome!