Iran's Zarif skips Davos over programme change

World Economic Forum organisers abruptly changed schedule: Iranian foreign ministry

DUBAI: Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif will not attend the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Davos this week because its organisers had "abruptly changed its agenda", its foreign ministry spokesman said on Monday.

"He was scheduled to attend ... but they abruptly changed the schedule and it was not the schedule that we agreed upon. So he will not attend Davos," Abbas Mousavi told a televised weekly conference.

Reuters last week reported that Zarif was no longer on the list of nearly 3,000 people due at the event, which is being held under the banner "Stakeholders for a Sustainable and Cohesive World".