Australia's Foreign Minister to visit Canada, US

Sydney, Sept. 17 (AP): Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer is expected to visit Canada and the United States this week for talks on global security and to address the United Nations, according to a statement released on Sunday. On Monday, Downer will meet with his Canadian counterpart Peter Mackay for bilateral talks on Afghanistan, Iran and the Middle East, the government statement said. ``We will also cover developments in Asia, where I plan to update him on the situation in East Timor,'' Downer said in the statement. The foreign minister is also scheduled to deliver a statement to the 61st session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York. He said the agenda of the 61st session would be very full, given recent foreign policy developments in the Middle East, Iran, Afghanistan, Sudan, North Korea and East Timor.