HELSINKI, Sept 11: Thirty-eight European and Asian leaders ended a Helsinki summit on Monday with lofty statements on global warming, world trade and the battle against terrorism but they stopped short of making firm promises.

On climate change, the final statement of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) said its members were committed to keeping up attempts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions after the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012.

But their only concrete plan to achieve this was to ‘provide financial and technical assistance to ASEM developing countries in accordance with relevant provisions’ of the United Nations’ goals on reining in global warming. The leaders discussed threats that both their regions face, ranging from terrorism to pandemics.—AFP