Senior environment officials from Europe, North America, Japan and the South Pacific wrapped up a two-day meeting with better hopes that the stalled global negotiations on reducing global warming might soon be re-launched.
But the officials also warned, in a brief statement on Thursday, that much remains to be done.
The officials also refused to speculate on whether enough had been achieved in Ottawa to convene a new ministerial meeting in Oslo in 10 days' time.
The two-day conference was called in the wake of the failed global warming talks last month, and many officials hope that it will pave the way for the Oslo meeting.
The official participants in the two-day Ottawa talks were senior government environmental officials from Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, the United States and the European Union.
The EU sent a mixed delegation with representatives from the European Commission, France, Belgium, Germany, Sweden and Britain.
Canadian officials said that several other countries-including Russia, Norway and Iceland -- sent observers.
After imposing a news blackout throughout the Ottawa talks, conference organisers issued a brief statement, saying, "Though much remains to be done, progress was made in clarifying issues and resolving technical differences among parties."
Bureau Report
