Buona sera cari amici. I want to begin obviously by expressing once again condolences to communities and families of the victims in Manchester, the Coptic community in Egypt that of course had a terrible attack, and we just heard of another attack in Afghanistan as well. So as we discussed throughout this G7, we stand in solidarity against acts of terror and in support of communities affected by it.

Thank you all for being here today. It’s a pleasure to speak with you all as we wrap up another successful G7 summit, this time in beautiful Taormina, Italy. I would like to first thank Prime Minister Gentiloni for being such a gracious host. I’ll really have to pull out all the stops in 2018 to live up to his fine example.

I would like to make a few remarks before I take your questions. First of all, this summit is a good reminder of the important work done by this organization. We all recognize that partnerships among our countries are crucial if we want to encourage peace and create prosperity for all of our citizens. I can say with confidence that the G7 is strong and united as we wrap up this summit.

We’ve had some excellent discussions over the past few days on issues of security, energy, climate change and economic growth that benefits the middle class and those working hard to join it. We talked about global anxieties around inequality, and the very real worry that with a rapidly changing economy, folks are at risk of getting left behind. On this, I echoed my previous statements, calling on governments to work with their citizens to develop real and lasting solutions together. We agreed on the importance of free, fair, and balanced trade around the world. We renewed our determination to fight terrorism in all forms, including Daesh, and we reaffirmed our commitment on non-proliferation and disarmament, including in North Korea.

As a group we share the belief that gender equality is crucial to the success of any society. Our communities grow and prosper when the rights of women and girls are fully recognized. That means, among other things, making sure women and girls can contribute to their economies. They need access to skilled jobs, financial support for their businesses, and markets for their products. In order to empower women and girls around the world, we, the G7, are proud to adopt the first G7 roadmap for a gender-responsive economic environment to be continued as Canada hosts the G7 in 2018.

And on this point, I am pleased to take this opportunity to announce the location of next year’s summit. Our G7 partners will be joining us in Charlevoix, Quebec, to discuss the most important issues facing our countries. I am certain that my counterparts will fall in love with this region, just as Canadians have been doing for generations.

Once again, thank you to Prime Minister Gentiloni for welcoming us here in Taormina… and for this successful summit based on partnership and collaboration.