Davos, Switzerland:Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina along with other global leaders gathered here on Tuesday as the 47th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) began here.

The four-day meeting began at Congress Centre in Davos, a mountain resort at Graubünden in the eastern Alps region of Switzerland, under the theme ‘Responsive and Responsible Leadership’.

On the sidelines of the forum, Sheikh Hasina had also informal interaction with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Swiss President Doris Leuthard.

The Chinese President, who was accompanied by the largest delegation of his country since its first participation in an annual meeting in 1979, opened the meeting proceedings.

In his speech, the Chinese President said economic globalisation has powered worldwide growth and it should not be blamed for the world's problems.

In an attack on the anti-globalisation rhetoric that has led to the election of Donald Trump as the US President and the Brexit vote in the UK, he told a packed audience: "It’s true that economic globalisation created new problems but there’s no justification to write off economic globalisation altogether. Rather we should adapt to and guide economic globalisation, cushion its negative impacts and deliver its benefits for all countries."

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina joined the opening plenary and other events of the meeting along with other heads of government and state.

Before the opening plenary of the World Economic Forum, WEF Executive Chairman Prof Klaus Schwann called on Sheikh Hasina.

The WEF executive chairman invited the Prime Minister to attend the Forum. She is the first elected Bangladeshi leader to attend the high profile annual global meeting that draws statesmen, top business leaders and the intelligentsia to discuss crucial global issues.

The 47th edition of the yearly talkfest of rich and powerful began with a welcome address by WEF Founder Klaus Schwab and felicitation of celebrity singer Shakira, among others, for her work towards promoting education followed by a musical concert by violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter.

The World Economic Forum meeting at Davos is set to discuss a wide array of topics ranging from Brexit, populism, Donald Trump, Artificial Intelligence as well as climate change among many other topics of interest.

The formal sessions will begin on Wednesday morning which would be opened by Swiss President Doris Leuthard along with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Heads of state and government of 45 countries, including Bangladesh, Sweden, Canada, the Netherlands, Sri Lanka, Peru, Jordan, Egypt and Qatar, are joining the WEF meeting along with heads of different international bodies like WTO, Unesco, UNDP, Unctad, World Bank, IMF and ADB.

In addition to government delegations from over 70 countries, including all G20 nations, UN Secretary General António Guterres is also participating in the meeting.

The 47th annual meeting of the WEF is scheduled to discuss five critical leadership challenges in 2017: strengthening global collaboration, restoring a sense of shared identity, revitalising economic growth, reforming capitalism and preparing for the "Fourth Industrial Revolution".

Hasina is also scheduled to join a workshop titled "Shaping a New Water Economy" at the same venue later today.

The WEF is a Swiss nonprofit foundation, based in Cologny, Geneva. Recognised by the Swiss authorities as an international body, its mission is cited as "committed to improving the state of the world by engaging business, political, academic, and other leaders of society to shape global, regional, and industry agendas".

The forum is best known for its annual meeting at the end of January in Davos. It brings together some 3000 top business leaders, international political leaders, selected intellectuals, and journalists for up to four days to discuss the most pressing issues facing the world.