HAVANA, September 26 (RIA Novosti's Sergei Ryabikin and Arseni Oganesyan) - Sergei Lavrov, Russia's Minister of Foreign Affairs, is starting a visit to Cuba tomorrow, September 27-his maiden foreign-ministerial visit to that country.

An extraordinary programme of negotiations and conferences awaits Mr. Lavrov, says Alexander Yakovenko, official Foreign Ministry spokesman. The schedule envisages several rounds of talks and informal conferences with Felipe Perez, Cuban Foreign Minister. The ministers are expected to sum up their negotiations in a joint statement and a plan for next year's political consultations.

Mr. Lavrov will also have conferences with the host country's topmost figures-in particular, Fidel Castro.

Russia regards Cuba among its key Latin American partners. "We are glad to see dynamic progress and close schedule of Russo-Cuban contacts. Characteristic of them is active and confidential political dynamism, and diversified forms of trade, economic, research, technical, cultural, humanitarian and other partnership," Mr. Yakovenko said to Novosti.

Russia's contacts with Cuba rose on a principally new level within a few preceding years to adapt to the latest international developments. Both countries are objective and realistic in their shared determination for closer and more extensive contacts on a mutually beneficial partnerly basis, with an emphasis on commercial and other economic ties. Time-tested bilateral friendship is an earnest of ever closer bilateral cooperation.

Globalisation is gaining momentum in the face of ever-new transnational threats and challenges. In that situation, the new world order is to rest on equal multilateral partnership based on close compliance with the international law, the United Nations playing the central part. Russia and Cuba are both convinced on those points, stressed the Russian diplomat.

Sergei Lavrov will finish his Cuban visit Wednesday, September 29, to come back to Russia the same day.