During their half hour of talks in Washington, Clinton brought up major US concerns.
"These were focused on North Africa, the Middle East and Iran. All of the greatest concerns are to be found along that axis," said Finnish Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja, following the discussions.
According to Tuomioja, US frustration with the actions of China and Russia on the issue of Syria in the UN Security Council was evident, but diplomatic measures have not been abandoned.
"The Americans are as frustrated as everyone else. Our view is that action by the Arab League should be backed. We are gratified that the Arab League, which up until now has been politically moribund, has displayed leadership. They should be supported in this, even though action has not yet led to results," Tuomioja stated.
This week's visit to the US capital is Tuomioja's first during his current stint as foreign minister. During the former Bush administration, Europeans, among them Tuomioja, often had difficulty making their views heard, especially during the darkest years of the war in Iraq.
Now, the Americans and Europeans view the flashpoints in North Africa and the Middle East in much the same way.
"We do not want to see any kind of new armed conflict in these regions," summed up Tuomioja.
Common ground on Afghanistan
Among the world's major conflicts, Finland and the United States probably have the most in common in Afghanistan. For example, the US has just decided to initiate a national action programme, as Finland has done, which is specifically aimed at strengthening the involvement of women in building peace in Afghanistan.
Clinton expressed thanks to Finland for this work, an issue that was the focus of a seminar earlier in the day at the Finnish embassy in Washington.
The progress being made in Afghanistan will next be under international review at a NATO summit scheduled for Chicago in late May, a gathering that Finnish representatives will also attend.
"We are hoping that we can look at the situation in Afghanistan with the most shared perspective possible. At this moment, there are hopes and expectations, as well, concerning negotiations," Tuomioja noted.
Officially there is no negotiation process underway. However, there can be no lasting settlement without the Taliban at the negotiating table.
"If we speak of disarming, then those who are carrying the arms have to be involved, too," Erkki Tuomioja pointed out.
