G8 Summit: ap Dafydd's dispatch

BBC Wales's Europe correspondent Iolo ap Dafydd reports from the G8 Summit of world leaders in Genoa, Italy.

After raids at night by the police on the third day, the G8 conference came to an end peacefully in Genoa.

The Genovese re-claimed their city and it was a strange sight watching them stroll in the sunshine, sightseeing blackened buildings and burnt out cars.

Vladimir Putin at the G8 talks

The fascination with the violence compelled them to see for themselves what Italian television had broadcast live over the weekend.

Almost 100 activists were detained by the police and dozens were injured when the carabinieri confiscated truncheons, rocks and computer data.

If any protests were planned for the last day of the G8 meeting, they were snuffed out in the dead of night.

The Italian authorities say they seized computer discs, iron bars, knives and other potential weapons but the anti-globalisation movement, the Genoa Social Forum, condemned the raid on a school building where many activists were staying.

The leaders had been unable to resolve differences between the US and other industrialised nations over global warming

They demand the assault was unprovoked and that Italian police brutally beat up "peaceful demonstrators."

At least an official investigation has been opened into the fatal shooting on Friday of Carlo Giuliani.

The 20-year policeman who fired his gun is being treated for shock, and could face manslaughter charges.

In contrast to the previous three days, it was the politicians who were centre stage on Sunday.

They all believed it was a tragedy that a life was lost, all condemned the violence and "mindless vandalism" as British Prime Minister Tony Blair called it.

Mr Blair reacted angrily to scrap G8 summits altogether.

But the Canadian premier Jean Chretien sounded a warning, which could be read in two ways.

President George Bush and French President Jacques Chirac

The next G8 summit will be held in his country, but has been moved from Ottowa to a tiny resort called Kananskis in the Rockies, in Alberta, about 50 miles from Calgary.

Safety in distance perhaps, but this could mean the democratic leaders meeting in a less than transparent way in future, and under less scrutiny.

Behind a security cordon, a huge concrete and steel fence and protected by 20,000 police, the leaders of the US, UK, France, Italy, Canada, Germany and Russia have expressed exasperation over the failure to focus attention on the issues they came to discuss.

Even though they were frustrated by the weekend's events, the leaders said they would seek "enhanced co-operation and solidarity with developing countries, based on a mutual responsibility for combating poverty and promoting sustainable development".

They promised to open up their markets and products, and would look for ways to broaden debt relief.

Most of Saturday's peaceful demonstrators were dismayed that the 3rd World Debt was not eradicated.

The statement also endorsed the launch of an "ambitious" new round of global trade talks.

It remains to be seen if the protests will drive world leaders to spend even more on security

But it conceded that the leaders had been unable to resolve differences between the US and the other main industrialised nations over global warming.

That problem still exists.

The summit has also produced broad agreement on major economic and foreign policy issues - including the Middle East, the Korean peninsula and Macedonia.

But it was outside the G8 meeting that the American and Russian presidents agreed to discuss reducing nuclear warheads while the US expands it's anti-missile defence system.

Africa and poorer countries will though welcome the emphasis the leaders put on their $1.3bn commitment to a new global fund to fight Aids and other infectious diseases such as TB and malaria in developing countries.

Vociferous

It endorsed moves by drug manufacturers to make medicines more affordable through flexibility in patent protection.

But the abiding image of the Genoa G8 will be that of the 23-year-old Italian man shot in the face by Italian police on Italian soil.

All the promises made in the final communique published on Monday will not change that fact.

The first anti-globalisation protester has died.

That will change perceptions and perhaps even how the vast numbers of the 100,000 who were vociferous on a whole range of issues on Thursday, Friday and Saturday will protest in future.

It remains to be seen if it will drive world leaders to spend even more on security and erect even bigger fences to protect themselves at future conferences they attend.