Davos forum founder sees Syria, Iran in spotlight

World Economic Forum (WEF) Executive Chairman and founder Klaus Schwab pauses during a news conference in Cologny, near Geneva, January 15, 2014. This year's World Economic Forum Annual Meeting is called 'The Reshaping of the World: Consequences for Society, Politics and Business' and it will be held from January 22 to 25, 2014 in the Swiss alpine resort of Davos. [Photo/Agencies]

DAVOS, Switzerland - Talks over the future of Syria and Iran will occur on the sidelines of the annual gathering for political and financial elites in the Swiss ski resort of Davos, the founder of the World Economic Forum said Monday.

Klaus Schwab said that there will be crossover between the forum's 2,500 participants and the officials from the US, Russia and close to 40 other countries that are attending the start of the Syria peace conference several hours away in Montreux, Switzerland.

Syria's main, Western-backed opposition group agreed Monday to attend this week's peace conference only after threatening to sit it out because of a last-minute UN invitation for Iran to join in.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was forced to withdraw the invitation Monday because the Syrian National Coalition had objected to Iran's participation because it keeps "troops and militias" in Syria and failed to endorse a 2012 UN -brokered roadmap to establish a transitional government.

But Iran will still be able to interact at Davos with many of the key players trying to end Syria's devastating civil war.

"Here you have some of the true leaders with the influence on the region, so I am sure the results will have an impact on our own discussions," said Schwab, a German-born economist and engineer who founded the Davos forum in 1971. Since then, the five-day gathering, which attracts heads of state, royalty and top executives, has grown into a massive networking event - what some consider speed-dating for the political and corporate elites.

China at Daovs:

Chinese FM to join Syria peace talks

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will leave Beijing on Wednesday for the Syria peace conference in Geneva and the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting in Davos of Switzerland.

Other highlights to be:

China set to be focus of Davos 2014

The theme for this year - "The Reshaping of the World: Consequences for Society, Politics and Business" - exactly sets out the three dimensions of the world's current circumstances, and it is in this context that the focus will be on China.

Plenty of potential for crises

The high level of public debt in the United States, the eurozone and Japan top the list of risks that will have the biggest impact this year and severely affect the stability of the global economy.