TAORMINA, Italy, May 26 (Xinhua) -- The summit of the Group of Seven (G7) in Italian city of Taormina is due to deliver a common statement on terrorism later on Friday, Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni confirmed here.
"G7 leaders gather here to meet the citizens' demands, concerning most of all terrorism and security," he said, adding "We will make an important statement in Taormina today, and we expect the G7 to deliver results."
"We know the discussion will not be easy, but the spirit of Taormina will help us proceed in the right direction," said Gentiloni.
Security, foreign policy, and global sustainable growth are the topics dominating the first day talks of the G7 leaders Friday afternoon.
British Prime Minister Theresa May, who attends only the first-day summit, is expected to lead such talks on security on Friday.
Trade and climate change are expected to be tough topics, considering the gap currently dividing U.S. President Donald Trump and the other G7 leaders.
President Trump's stance towards trade will be a main point of Friday's meeting, as he has previously shown clear inclination to protectionism.
Analysts here say whether the U.S. president will soften his stance is noteworthy.
Climate is another hard nut of the summit agenda, considering Trump administration's reluctance to stick to the commitments of the Paris Climate Deal, which has put it at odds with the EU and other major allies.
As President of the European Council Donald Tusk put it "this will be the most challenging G7 summit in years."
"It is no secret that leaders who are meeting today sometimes have very different positions on topics such as climate change and trade," Tusk told a press conference ahead of the G7 opening.
But he stressed the European Union's role is "to do everything to maintain the unity of the G7 on all fronts."
"Most importantly, unity needs to be maintained when it comes to defending the rules-based international order," Tusk stressed earlier.
