ANKARA
Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan left for the United States on Friday to attend Bilderberg meeting.
The 60th Bilderberg meeting will take place in Chantilly, Virginia, between June 1 and 3.
The meeting will deal mainly with political, economic and social issues like Transatlantic Relations, Evolution of the Political Landscape in Europe and the US, Austerity and Growth in Developed Economies, Cyber Security, Energy Challenges, the Future of Democracy, Russia, China and the Middle East.
Approximately 145 participants will attend of whom about two-thirds come from Europe and the balance from North America and other countries. About one-third is from government and politics, and two-thirds are from finance, industry, labor, education, and communications. The meeting is private in order to encourage frank and open discussion.
First Bilderberg meeting took place in the Netherlands in May 1954. That pioneering meeting grew out of the concern expressed by leading citizens on both sides of the Atlantic that Western Europe and North America were not working together as closely as they should on common problems of critical importance.
Bilderberg's only activity is its annual Conference. At the meetings, no resolutions are proposed, no votes taken, and no policy statements issued. Since 1954, 59 meetings have been held. Participants are chosen for their experience, their knowledge, and their standing.