Russia unexpectedly becomes a hot topic at the G7 Summit

(Baonghean.vn) - The fight against terrorism, climate change, and ways to cooperate with Russia were the key topics on the first working day of the Group of Seven (G7) Summit on May 26 in the city of Taormina on the island of Sicily in southern Italy.

This annual summit will be attended for the first time by leaders such as US President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Theresa May and Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentilon.

Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) at the opening ceremony on May 26. Photo: AP

The fight against terrorism comes first

With 15 points of debate, the G7 leaders focused on closely monitoring citizens of member countries - those who have served as mercenaries under the "black flag" of extremists in Syria or Iraq. When they return, they can become a "threat" to the country.

Faced with this situation, G7 leaders agreed that "the fight against terrorism must have a new turning point". Accordingly, they agreed to support military costs for the countries involved in the war. This is really necessary in managing, capturing and limiting extremist elements.

British Prime Minister Theresa May also called on international media companies to prevent the spread of harmful content, or eliminate the spread of extremist terrorist ideology via the internet.

Trade and climate - when will the "war" end?

The question was aimed at pressuring US President Donald Trump to change his stance on trade protectionism and his "persistent" skepticism about the fight against climate change. But on the first day of the summit, the G7 failed to achieve this goal.

The leaders are expected to have a "frank discussion" about the president's support for "free, open and fair" trade and the possibility of Washington withdrawing from the Paris Agreement on climate change, according to a senior White House official.

Dialogue with Russia is urgent

If the first two topics were in the official framework of the agenda, then the topic of cooperation with Russia was unexpectedly included, without encountering any objections.

G7 leaders said that since the most recent Summit held in Japan, member countries "have not seen any change from imposing sanctions on Russia".

Regarding this issue, US President Donald Trump stated: "We will not lift sanctions on Russia. Because if this happens, we will quickly become more difficult in our relationship with Russia."

The topic of cooperation with Russia is not only discussed at the G7, but also at bilateral meetings. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and French President Emmanuel Macron agreed that Russia's participation is needed in resolving international issues such as Syria and North Korea. Accordingly, dialogue with Russia is extremely important and urgent.

The G7 Summit took place on May 26 and 27 in the city of Taormina on the island of Sicily in southern Italy. Security was tightened to the maximum.

In addition to the host country's security forces, officers from Interpol and Europol were also present to assist with information and data access. According to the Organizing Committee, to ensure security, about 7,000 security personnel, soldiers and more than 100 special forces soldiers were mobilized for the event.

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(According to TASS)