STOCKHOLM -- Liberal leaders of 11 countries met here Saturday to coordinate policy on terrorism, globalization and other world trends after calling on the United States to resist unilateral decision-making and cooperate more closely with other states in facing shared problems.

Although not represented at the Stockholm Progressive Summit, the United States and its approach to a range of issues was nonetheless a central topic of discussion among left-of-center national leaders whose two-day gathering in snowbound Stockholm began with a working dinner Friday.

French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin called on British Prime Minister Tony Blair, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and other participants to examine "the issue of the attitude of the United States and the issue of our attitude toward the United States," AFP quoted a French official as saying.

Jospin, on his first international trip since declaring himself a candidate for the French presidency on Wednesday, said Washington had "perhaps" shown a tendency toward "a response through national reflex rather than adopting the stance of a great world power.

"An effort must be made to draw them back into the game of cooperation," Jospin said, according to the official. "We do not want less American presence but more American presence," he added, referring specifically to a desire for Washington to reengage Middle East peace efforts.

Swedish Prime Minister Goeran Persson, the host of the Summit, said the leaders had discussed ways to put the international coalition assembled by the United States in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks to better use in other areas.

The leaders were in broad agreement that "The 11th of September was a signal to build not only a coalition against terrorism but a true international coalition where the United Nations also played an important role," Persson said.

He said the leaders wanted to explore ways to continue the cooperation developed in the U.S.-led coalition against terrorism "also outside the direct fight against terrorism," referring specifically to applying coalition efforts to an upcoming world summit on development.

The Stockholm Summit was a meeting of the network for progressive governance, an informal "club" of left-of-center political leaders from around the world started by former U.S. President Bill Clinton and Blair in 1997.

Swedish officials made clear last year that they would not be invited Clinton's successor, George W. Bush, to attend the Stockholm gathering as "he doesn't share our views."

Persson attempted to define the self-selecting group, saying "It's Social Democrats, it's Liberals, it's Progressive Politicians who believe in a rational way of thinking about politics."

He said discussion Saturday would focus on ways to strengthen democracy in Europe and to counter xenophobia and the rise of "populist" political movements on the continent.

The leaders were expected to publish a final summit communique and were scheduled to hold a closing news conference at 11:15 GMT.