Davos: What they said

“We are all nationalists. I’m a Swede. But I don’t beat up Danes -- at least not daily. And that even goes for Norwegians.” Carl Bildt, UN envoy to the Balkans.

“We’ve been through a pretty good economic decade. It’s pretty scary we couldn’t achieve more on trade in the time.” Arminio Fraga, Governor of the Central Bank of Brazil.

“It’s outrageous how little is put into research on malaria.” Bill Gates, Microsoft chairman.

“I want us all to be poets. But it’s better to be a poet on a full stomach.” Thabo Mbeki, President of South Africa.

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“The old model of the doctor who knew everything? We’re beyond that.” Richard Klausner, Director, National Cancer Institute, U.S.

“Globalisation with a human face simply with a change of emphasis is not enough. ” Vicente Fox, President on Mexico on the 1.2 billion living on less than one dollar (75 pence) a day.

“No country in the world can afford the health care its citizens want.” William George, Chairman, Medtronic U.S.

“When we develop a tomato with a Viagra gene, people will want to eat that”. A former U.S. agriculture secretary quoted in a debate on Genetically modified organisms.

“We need a happy ending at the beginning….." Shimon Peres, former Israeli Prime Minister.

“I thought I came to talk about a wedding, not a divorce.” Peres after hearing an anti-Israeli outburst from his platform companion Yasser Arafat, leader of the Palestine Libreration Organisation.

“I love my job. It’s just that some days I love it more than others.” Michael Capellas, CEO of Compaq, on the pressures of heading a multi-national.

“I tell people that eating a sausage is about the same risk as one cigarette a year.” Dutch Health Minister Els Borst-Eilers on Europe's BSE scare.

“Nothing in life is risk free.” Sir John Krebs, chairman of the UK Food Standards Agency.

“We don’t like war crimes, but nor do we like subjecting Americans to decision of judges appointed by 139 nations who may not like America.” Senator Orrin G Hatch (Utah) on U.S. opposition to the proposed International Criminal Court.

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January 29, 2001
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