Terror threats and climate change top G7 agenda

(Vatican Radio) U.S. President Barack Obama says the U.S. and its leading allies ``stand united'' on some of the world's most pressing challenges. Obama was speaking in Germany on Monday at the end of a two-day summit of leaders of the G7 nations.Topping the agenda on the final day were issues of tackling extremist Islamic terror groups and responding to what the West sees as Russian aggression in Ukraine.But, as regional correspondent Stefan Bos reports, the key question of combatting climate change was also high on the G7 agenda:  

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The summit host, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, wants the G7 group of the United States, Britain, Japan, France, Canada, Italy and Germany, to agree on limiting global temperature rises. She urged G7 members to contribute to a fund for poor countries suffering the worst consequences of what she believes is climate change. French President Francois Hollande agreed that commitments must be made at this G7 and added that for the moment a communique mentioning the climate was in his words "going in the right direction."

World leaders gathering at the picturesque Schloss Elmau hotel in the Bavarian Alps, also turned their attention to talks on terror threats with leaders of Nigeria, Tunisia and Iraq. Despite setbacks that have been raised about his policy, U.S. President Barack Obama voiced optimism that the so-called Islamic State group would be driven out of Iraq, but said more commitments were needed from the government.

Russia was not invited to the summit where leaders agreed to maintain sanctions against the country amid anger over perceived Russian aggression. Moscow has denied wrongdoing, but Ukraine's defense minister claimed on Monday that Russian-backed rebels are assembling a 40,000-strong army sufficient for a "mid-sized European state".