European Union

We, the leaders of the G7, stand united in expressing our deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims of the brutal terrorist act in Manchester in the United Kingdom. We condemn in the strongest possible terms terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.

Countering terrorism and violent extremism, acts of which have struck G7 members, as well as all regions of the world, regardless of country, nationality or belief, remains a major priority for the G7. We stand united in our joint endeavour to make sure that our citizens are safe and secure, and their values and way of life fully preserved, and will take the strongest action possible to find, identify, remove, and punish, as appropriate, terrorists and those who abet their activities.

Saturday 27 May 2017
G7 Summit -Taormina (Italy)
09.15 Working session with outreach partners
11.45 Working session
13.00 Working lunch

Sunday 28 May 2017
Bratislava
12.00 Meeting with Prime Minister of the Czech Republic Bohuslav Sobotka
12.30 Intervention at the Globsec 2017 conference

Thursday 1 June 2017
14.15 Phone call with President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko
18.30 Informal dinner with Premier of China's State Council Li Keqiang

Friday 2 June 2017
EU-China summit
10.40 Arrival and welcome of Premier Li Keqiang
10.45 Meeting
12.30 Signature ceremony
13.20 Working lunch
15.40 Press conference

Nato has declared its willingness to join the US-led international coalition against the IS terror organisation. Until now only individual Nato states had been active in the coalition, a fact that US President Donald Trump had repeatedly criticised. The members have nevertheless ruled out the possibility of direct participation in combat missions for the time being. Will the war on terror now be fought more resolutely?

The G7 summit in Taormina in Sicily is beginning under difficult circumstances. There is major disagreement among the leaders of the West's seven most important industrial nations, the US, Canada, the UK, Japan, Germany, France and Italy. For the first time the latter six states must try to reach a consensus with US President Donald Trump on trade policy, climate protection and the refugee crisis. What does the meeting hold in store?

The far-right L'SNS founded by Marian Kotleba is facing the prospect of becoming the first party elected to the Slovakian parliament to be banned. Kotleba's first party, Slovak Togetherness, was also banned. Legally a ban would be the right move, Slovakian journalists believe. But would that be the end of the right-wing extremists, whom current polls rank as the country's third-strongest political force?

The attack in Manchester has reignited the debate in Europe's press about how to react to Islamist terror. Is the openness of the modern world in fact fuelling terror?

Nowhere in the world is alcohol consumed in such great quantities as in Lithuania, according to a recent report by the World Health Organisation. In a counteroffensive the Lithuanian governing coalition wants to reduce alcohol consumption through various bans. In neighbouring Latvia, where similar quantities of alcohol are consumed, the sale of alcohol in two-litre bottles is to be banned as of 2020. Baltic media see little sense in the measures.