Obama to visit Malaysia for Global Entrepreneurship Summit 2013
Barack Obama (pic) will be attending the Kuala Lumpur 4th Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES 2013) in October - marking the first from a US president to Malaysia in 47 years.
The late President Lyndon B. Johnson was the first to visit this country in October 1966.
The GES summit is organised by the Ministry of Finance (MoF) with the partnership of the International Greentech & Eco Products (1GEM).
Finance Ministry Secretary-General Tan Sri Dr. Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah said Obama was scheduled to deliver a keynote address and would speak on the importance of entrepreneurship, particularly for young people, in driving economic progress.
“His presence will give a significant boost to the event," he told a Press conference today.
The annual summit, initiated by Obama in 2010 as part of an effort to engage the Muslim world, has grown to become a global platform to encourage and facilitate entrepreneurship to improve economies and lives in the 21st century.
Mohd Irwan said the event would provide opportunities to young entrepreneurs with limited resources to pitch their ideas to successful entrepreneurs as well as to get funding.
This year’s theme is "Empowering and Connecting Entrepreneurs", and is expected to have about 3,000 participants worldwide and 105 speakers from about 70 countries.
Mohd Irwan said Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has also confirmed his attendance at the event. - August 14, 2013.
