The Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate, not to be confused with the Major Economies Meeting (also known as the Major Emitters Meeting) of yesteryear, wrapped up with little fanfare at the U.S. State Department in Washington Tuesday.

A holdover from the administration of George W. Bush, the meeting serves as a venue for less formal global warming talks among 17 countries accounting for some 75 percent of global emissions. Many accused Bush of using the process to undercut the United Nations process, but even critics acknowledged that the idea – bringing key players together for parallel talks on the big issues – was sound.

No major news has come from the meeting, but then again nothing was really expected. Jake Schmidt, international climate policy director for the Natural Resources Defense Council in Washington, says the closest the parties ever got to actual numbers – representing emissions cuts and monetary commitments – was a presentation by Obama’s science advisor, John Holdren, regarding emissions trajectories and potential scenarios for stabilzing carbon dioxide levels.

But by all accounts the administration is taking the process seriously. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton kicked things off on 27 April, and President Barack Obama himself reportedly visited with the foreign delegations.

“The fact that he took time out of his schedule to actually do that is important symbolically,” Schmidt says. “He didn’t talk too much, mostly listened. He mostly wanted to kind of hear their perspective, and I think that’s an important way to reach out to these countries and build some trust.”

It’s still early in the year, and so far international delegates are pleased to report that trust is indeed building (for a sampling, check the Washington Post’s coverage). But clearly negotiators have a long way to go if they are to sign any meaningful agreement in Copenhagen this December.