Group of Seven leaders on Friday
signed a statement against terrorism at the G7 summit in
Taormina, Sicily but the issue of climate change was suspended
while US President Donald Trump took time out for further
reflection.
Italian Premier Paolo Gentiloni said during the signing of
the declaration that it was "a strong message of friendship,
closeness and solidarity with Great Britain".
Prime Minister Theresa May thanked the seven leaders for
their support over the "terrible attack in Manchester" and said
"I think it is important to show this determination by all
countries to fight terror and safeguard our citizens".
The leaders said in their statement that "we G7 leaders
express our most keenly felt closeness and our deeply felt
condolences for the brutal attack and the victims in Manchester
which shows how we must boost our efforts and turn our
commitments into actions".
They said "we condemn terrorism and all its manifestations in
the strongest possible way: the fight against terror remains one
of the G7's top priorities.
"We are united in making our citizens safe and preserving
their values and lifestyles".
The declaration against terrorism includes "the strengthening
of cooperation among the seven major economies of the western
world on various issues, from Internet technology collaboration
to the leaders' commitment to get from major Internet service
providers a commitment towards what is circulating on the Web
which often amplifies the acts of terrorism," Premier Gentiloni
said.
Gentiloni said that the "question of the Paris climate
agreements remains suspended, with President Trump having an
internal reflection of which the other countries have
taken note".
Trump has gone on record in the past as saying that global
warming was a "hoax".
But Gentiloni stressed that "there is an atmosphere of direct
and sincere discussion which translates into points of agreement
on the major issues: from Syria to Libya and on to the issues of
international trade, on which we are still working".
He stressed that "today's direct discussion leads to common
points on which we can work".
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