The Latest: Tusk predicts 'most challenging' G-7 in years
TAORMINA, Italy (AP) — The Latest on President Donald Trump's first trip abroad (all times local):
11:47 a.m.
The chairman of the European Union's council says there is "no doubt that this will be the most challenging G-7 summit in years."
President Donald Trump's positions on the hot-button issues of climate change, trade and migration stand in contrast to many European leaders. And they threaten to throw a summit of the Group of Seven wealthy democracies off its consensus game.
European Council President Donald Tusk says that leaders "sometimes have very different views" on topics such as climate change and trade. He says the European Union's goal is to maintain the unity of the G-7 on "all fronts," most importantly "defending the rules-based international order."
He also says he agrees with Trump that the international community should be "tough, even brutal" on terrorism and the Islamic State group.
Tusk spoke at the start of a meeting of the Group of Seven democracies in Taormina, Sicily.
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10:54 a.m.
President Donald Trump is declaring that North Korea is "a world problem" but says "it will be solved."
Trump met with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday ahead of the G-7 summit in the Sicilian coastal city of Taormina, Italy.
The president said the men would discuss the situation with North Korea, which has repeatedly conducted missile tests, rattling its Pacific neighbors.
Trump said, "it will be solved, you can bet on that."
Abe became the latest world leader to publicly flatter Trump, saluting his visit to the Middle East and address to NATO on Thursday. He said they would discuss economic issues and also joked that, unlike their last meeting in Florida, the two men would not be able to play golf this time.
Trump is spending two days at the G-7, the final stop on his maiden international trip.
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10:33 a.m.
President Donald Trump is in Taormina, Italy for a series of meetings with fellow Group of Seven wealthy nation leaders.
Trump is set to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe before participating in a welcome ceremony and reception with follow G-7 leaders.
In the afternoon, he'll participate in a luncheon and working sessions, before joining first lady Melania Trump at a performance of the La Scala Philharmonic Orchestra at the ancient Greek Theatre of Taormina.
The president and first lady will finish off the second-last day of Trump's first official trip abroad attending a dinner hosted by Italian President Sergio Mattarella.
The G-7 includes the U.S., Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom.
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9:00 a.m.
President Donald Trump has faced a much cooler reception in Europe than the welcome he received in the Middle East.
The leaders of Saudi Arabia and Israel seemed in competition to outdo the other with the warmth of their welcomes. Not so in Europe as Trump met with other NATO leaders and appeared eager to go on the offensive.
Trump has publicly scolded some of America's most loyal allies for not paying their fair share of NATO's defense initiatives. He's also refused to explicitly back their mutual defense agreement.
Trump now arrives in Sicily for the final leg of a nine-day, five-stop marathon, a G-7 economic meeting. He is likely to be received warily, but the White House says the president has made personal breakthroughs with his peers.