The Russian Prime Minister, Yevgeny Primakov, will hold his first official meeting with President Clinton during a summit of Asia-Pacific leaders in Kuala Lumpur later this month.

The announcement confirms earlier reports that President Yeltsin would not be going to the summit.

Mr Primakov had to represent Russia last week at a meeting in Austria when President Yeltsin pulled out for health reasons.

Mr Yeltsin is currently at a southern Russian resort recovering from what the Kremlin described as exhaustion and high blood pressure after a recent bout of bronchitis that forced him to cut short a Central Asian tour last month.