( RIA Novosti ) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will set out on a 10-day tour this week to Australia, Latin America, and Africa.
On Wednesday, Lavrov will arrive in the Australian capital, Sydney, for the Asian-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit to meet with foreign and trade ministers and business leaders from 21 participating nations, which account for over half of the global economy.
Russia's foreign minister will also hold a series of bilateral meetings with APEC ministers and will participate in a ceremony to mark the first visit by a Russian leader in the history of Russian-Australian relations September 7.
On September 8-9, Lavrov will attend the 19th APEC forum in Sydney, where Russia is expected to announce its plans to invest in the forum and confirm its determination to host the 2012 summit.
After the summit the senior Russian diplomat will head for Latin America to hold bilateral talks with his counterparts from Peru, Uruguay, and Paraguay September 11-13.
On September 14, Lavrov will arrive in Senegal, West Africa, the final country on the Russian minister's agenda.