Obama Aide Jarrett To Attend Davos Economic Forum

The gathering at Davos will bring together world leaders, policymakers and corporate leaders to discuss how to fix current economic crisis.

Senior White House aide Valerie Jarrett will represent U.S. President Barack Obama at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland this week, a U.S. official said on Sunday.

The gathering at the Swiss resort will bring together world leaders, policymakers and corporate leaders to discuss how to fix the worst global economic crisis in 80 years.

Absent from the forum will be top White House economic advisers Lawrence Summers, Treasury Secretary-designate Timothy Geithner and White House national security adviser James Jones.

Geithner is still awaiting confirmation by the U.S. Senate. Summers and Jones will remain in Washington to advise Obama on near-term issues, according to the U.S. official.

Obama, who took over from President George W. Bush last Tuesday, is seeking passage by mid-February of an $825 billion fiscal stimulus plan and is also awaiting recommendations from his advisers on ways to address the deepening crisis in the U.S. financial sector.

Jarrett, who hails from Obama's hometown of Chicago, is a longtime friend and adviser to the president. She is a lawyer and former businesswoman.