Philosopher President
Mohammed Khatami left much unsaid when he spoke to delegates in Davos.
But that didn't mean that they failed to get the message
WEB EXCLUSIVE
By Arlene Getz
Newsweek
Updated: 03:14 PM PTÂ Jan. 21, 2004
Jan. 21 - His speech was couched in erudite philosophical terms. But
when Mohammed Khatami delivered his keynote address to the
political and business elites gathered in Davos on Wednesday, there
was no mistaking the Iranian president's political subtext.
"Democratic norms are not identical packaged goods ready for
export," Khatami said at the formal opening session of the World
Economic Forum's annual meeting here. "True partnership calls for
genuine dialogue."
snip
Meanwhile, despite the interest in Iraq and Iran, the biggest
crowd-puller of the opening day was neither Khatami nor Straw.
That distinction went to Bill Clinton, a Davos regular whose
lunchtime address was so oversubscribed it spilled out into hallways
and overflow rooms. The former U.S. president delivered an
impassioned plea to business leaders "to make a bigger difference in
the things that we care about." That involved creating integrated
systems and infrastructures around the world. "You change the
reality of human history by systematic action," he said. "Our job is
to move the world from interdependence to integration." Clinton may
not have waxed quite as philosophical as Khatami, but his audience
loved it anyway.
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