Hillary Clinton to visit Finland next Wednesday

The United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is to pay a short visit to Finland on Wednesday, June 27th.
      The Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs has not yet confirmed the precise schedule of Ms Clinton’s impending visit next week.
      However, according to information gathered by Helsingin Sanomat, Clinton will stay in Finland overnight.
     
The Secretary of State comes to Finland at the invitation of Minister for Foreign Affairs Erkki Tuomioja (SDP).
      During her visit she is also to meet with President Sauli Niinistö and other key state officials.
      Tuomioja and Clinton will discuss issues relating to the improvement of the status of women, Afghanistan, Syria, and sustainable development, among other things. The two also met in Washington in February.
     
Secretary of State Clinton has had some difficulties in reaching these shores, though not for reasons relating to any chill in US-Finnish relations.
      She was due to come here in early 2011 for the unofficial foreign ministers' get-together hosted by the then Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb (National Coalition Party) up in Saariselkä in Finnish Lapland, but that visit was stalled by the Arab Spring turmoil and the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. The gathering was in any event eventually cancelled.
      Just under a year earlier, her attempts were foiled by the volcanic eruption in Iceland, which caused havoc to air travel across Europe.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  EU foreign ministers´ meeting in Lapland cancelled (17.3.2011)
  US Secretary of State Clinton says she will visit Finland in late June (4.6.2012)
  Hillary Clinton´s on-off visit to be postponed again (15.6.2010)
  Hilary Clinton cancels visit to Finland (20.4.2010)

See also:
  Middle East dominates meeting between Erkki Tuomioja and Hilary Clinton in Washington (17.2.2012)