G7 leaders sign anti-terrorism statement

Taormina (Italy), May 26 (IANS/AKI) Leaders of the world's richest nations on Friday at the G7 summit in Taormina, Italy, inked a declaration on the fight against terrorism and extremism.

Video footage released by the Italian presidency of the G7 showed leaders signing a text, and Italy's Premier Paolo Gentiloni told journalists the statement was "a response to the ignoble attack in Manchester against innocent victims".

"Several points of this declaration refer to the strengthening of cooperation between the seven biggest economies in the western, free world," he said.

The G7 leaders agreed in the statement to commit to tackling extremism on the Internet, Gentiloni said, calling this the "breeding-ground and amplifier" of terrorism.

British Prime Minister Theresa May was filmed thanking peers for the support received following Monday's attack on the Manchester Arena after a concert by US singer Ariana Grande in which 22 people died.

The G7 needed to show "fierce determination to ensure that we use every tool available to us to fight against terrorism and protect our people", she said.

--IANS/AKI

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