class = “sc-cffd1e67-0 fmXrkB”>
The security policy environment and threat situation require police and military members at the World Economic Forum (WEF) to conduct more comprehensive operations than a year ago. High-level visitors and the previous conference further strengthen this effect.
General operations manager Walter Schlegel told media at Davos GR on Friday that security arrangements for the Ukraine conference on Sunday had to be made a day in advance, ahead of the actual WEF start on Monday. 500 participants from 90 countries are invited to the conference.
Zelenskiy is coming
Therefore, construction work had to start earlier. Security forces began building protective fences around Davos for a total of 250 kilometers as of January 2.
Checkpoints on the road to Davos will now be operational from Sunday. The airspace was closed on Friday. The large number of vulnerable people at the WEF makes additional measures necessary this year. Among others, Presidents Volodymyr Selensky (45) from Ukraine, Emmanuel Macron (46) from France and Isaac Herzog (63) from Israel are coming to Davos.
WEF is locked
Approximately 5,000 army personnel support the police. About half of these emergency services are in Davos. The rest is distributed throughout Switzerland. Cyber experts, snipers, dog handlers and paramedics, among others, are on duty. According to the federal government, the additional cost of security is around 9 million francs. The costs for this are paid by the WEF Foundation, the federal government, the canton of Graubuster and the municipalities of Davos and Klosters.
Looking back, there are two events in world history that had a huge impact on security measures at the WEF, Schlegel said in an interview with the Keystone-SDA news agency. On the one hand, there were the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington on September 11, 2001. On the other hand, the attacks on the humor magazine “Charlie Hebdo” in France in 2015 also attracted attention.
However, the threat of attacks using vehicles or explosive devices has also increased. Over the years, the WEF increasingly had to be enclosed, for example, with additional large concrete elements rather than just metal fences.
For Schlegel, this marks the 12th WEF in the role of police commander and therefore overall operations manager. Security measures have been continuously adjusted since it was first introduced in 2012. (No)
Airplane noise and traffic congestion are expected
The operation is associated with aircraft noise and traffic congestion. Dattrino thanks the public for their understanding.
Finally, the commander points to the website www.armee.ch/wef, where you can find more information about the operation.
This protects the airspace
The army is responsible for protecting airspace. “This is following close international consultations with Austria and Italy.”
Additionally, Cyber Command is responsible for ensuring the cyber security of the army.
“5,000 military personnel were assigned”
“Up to 5,000 military members have been deployed since January 9,” Dattrino said. The mission will last until January 25.
He was unable to comment on the threat. However, the situation is constantly evaluated.
The army commander of the Regional Division 3 speaks now
Regional Division 3 Army Commander Maurizio Dattrino now explains the Army’s mission during WEF.
Despite Selenski: Security measures are almost the same
Although the Ukrainian president is expected to be at the WEF, security measures are almost the same every year.
New security zone at Hotel Belvédère
A new security zone has been established at Hotel Belvédère, Schlegel reported.
500 participants expected at Sunday’s Ukrainian conference
According to the colonel, around 500 participants are expected at Sunday’s Ukrainian conference. Therefore, snipers were already in action on Sunday, the day before.
The number of participants this year is very high
According to the commander, one of the biggest challenges this year is the large number of participants. The geopolitical situation was also added to this.
“Tension is increasing”
The media conference was opened by Colonel Walter Schlegel, general operations manager and commander of the cantonal police of Grisons. Schlegel said the security policy environment has been further emphasized this year. “Tension is increasing” The reason for this is the war in Ukraine and the situation in the Gaza Strip.
Press conference at 10:00
The cantonal police and army from Grisons invited media representatives to a press conference at 10 am. The backdrop is the presentation of the security concept for the World Economic Forum (WEF) 2024, which will take place in the Davos resort of Grisons from 15 to 19 January. This year, 2,800 participants are expected, including many presidents and well-known businessmen. Blick marks the event live for you.
Source :Blick
I’m Tim David and I work as an author for 24 Instant News, covering the Market section. With a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism, my mission is to provide accurate, timely and insightful news coverage that helps our readers stay informed about the latest trends in the market. My writing style is focused on making complex economic topics easy to understand for everyone.
