Group of Eight leaders wrapped up a three-day summit here Sunday, deploring riots in which police shot dead a protester but vowing to pursue globalization for the sake of the poor.
"We are grateful to the citizens of Genoa for their hospitality and deplore the violence, loss of life and mindless vandalism that they have had to endure," it said.
"We will maintain our active and fruitful dialogue with developing countries and other stakeholders."
The leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States said they defended people's right to be heard through peaceful protest.
"But as democratic leaders, we cannot accept that a violent minority should be allowed to disrupt our negotiations on the critical issues affecting the world. Our work will go on."
"We are determined to make globalization work for all our citizens and especially the world's poor," said the five-page statement, most of which was devoted to aid for developing countries.
"Drawing the poorest countries into the global economy is the surest way to address their fundamental aspirations."
The leaders came under heavy fire from anti-globalization protesters in the Italian port city of Genoa for allegedly failing to close the gap between the world's haves and have-nots.
A planned new deal for Africa to help eradicate poverty on the continent was one of the proposals discussed at the summit to show the world's rich care about the devastated continent.
Another was a vow "to break the vicious cycle between disease and poverty" by committing to a new war chest to fight AIDS and other infectious diseases that already has pledges of 1.3 billion dollars (1.5 billion euros).
The leaders said they were determined to make the newly-launched Global Fund to fight HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis operational by the end of the year.
On the environment, however, there was no agreement on the Kyoto Protocol to combat global warming.
"We all firmly agree on the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions," it said. "While there is currently disagreement on the Kyoto Protocol and its ratification, we are committed to working intensively together to meet our common objective.
But the statement said leaders welcomed a Russian proposal "for a global conference on climate change in the year 2003 with the participation of governments, companies and scientists as well as representatives of civil society."
It was the first G8 summit for several of the leaders including for its host, Italy's new Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.
US President George W. Bush and Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi were also at their maiden summits.
Next year's summit will be a small affair at a mountain resort in Alberta, Canada, the leaders decided at a dinner the previous evening in the ancient port city of Genoa.
The will be held from June 26 to 28 next year, the communiqué said -- GENOA, Italy (AFP)
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