Ministers will travel to different countries across the world, mostly where no ministerial visits have taken place in the last 20 to 25 years, to establish 'sampark' (contact) and 'samvad' (communication).
Brazil forward Lucas scored his first goal for Paris St Germain to help the Ligue 1 champions snatch top spot with a 2-0 win at Girondins Bordeaux.
There have been three dismissals in three previous World Cup finals matches -- 1938 Brazil v Czechoslovakia, 1954 Brazil v Hungary and 1998 Denmark v South Africa.
Images from the football matches played across Europe on Sunday.
News of all that transpired on and off the football field
Holders Brazil landed a tricky draw for the Copa America on Wednesday as they were thrown into Group B along with Mexico, Ecuador and Chile.
Argentina can look forward to a mouthwatering Copa America semi-final clash with Brazil after delivering a much-improved display to beat Venezuela 2-0 in the quarter-finals in their first game at the Maracana since losing the 2014 World Cup final.
India now play Chile in the summit clash. Chile had beaten Uruguay 2-1 in the second semi-final.
Marcus Allback's equalising goal for Sweden in the Group B match against England was the 2,000th in World Cup finals history.
The US-based Indian player advanced into the final round of the US Open qualifiers on Thursday.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
France are favourites as Moscow basked in sweltering summer sun
Four-time world player of the year Lionel Messi would soon face trial for alleged tax evasion; a Spanish judge has ruled and might face a six year jail term if convicted.
Pedro scored in the 31st, 49th and 64th minutes while Romario Jesuraj got the other goal for Chennai in the 76th minute.
A European nation is set to win the World Cup for the fourth time in a row this Sunday and in doing so confirm an unprecedented dominance for the Old World over their once mighty rivals in South America.
Lionel Messi broke the deadlock and Luis Suarez scored twice in the second half to give Barcelona a typically emphatic 3-0 win over River Plate in the Club World Cup final on Sunday.
News of all that transpired on and off the football field.
Belgium play in a second successive World Cup quarter-final, looking to reach the semi-finals for the second time after they advanced to the last four in Mexico 32 years ago.
Luis Suarez is likely to play his first competitive game for Barcelona in La Liga's "Clasico" against Real Madrid later this month and he says it is no coincidence his four-month biting ban expires the day before one of biggest fixtures in world soccer.
The World Cup lost its headline acts on Saturday as the game's two biggest stars, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, readied to leave Russia after their teams were eliminated in the round of 16. Messi's Argentina lost 4-3 to France and hours later Ronaldo's Portugal went down 2-1 to Uruguay, leaving the tournament without its two best known and most loved players.
Morientes was one of four Liverpool players named in the 22-man squad for a friendly against Uruguay.
Here is a terrific quote that is doing the rounds from Chile's coach, Jorge Sampaoli.
When Russia and Saudi Arabia meet on Thursday form will be irrelevant as the world's biggest sporting festival explodes into life in Moscow.
Edinson Cavani enjoyed a memorable comeback after spending four weeks on the sidelines with a thigh injury as he scored in Paris St Germain's 2-0 win over Olympique Marseille on Sunday to help his side move eight points clear at the top of Ligue 1.
Belgium hammered the final nail into Egypt's halting World Cup warm-up campaign with an assured 3-0 win in Brussels on Wednesday that settled some nerves among the fancied hosts.
Luis Suarez said he had missed linking up with his insatiable strike partners Neymar and Lionel Messi after Barcelona's 'MSN' attack scored six goals in their 7-0 record rout of Celtic on Tuesday. Messi scored a record sixth European Cup hat-trick while Neymar became the first player in Champions League history to provide four assists and score in a game, curling in the third from a free-kick.
Neymar lived up to expectations as he showed his class on his Ligue 1 debut on Sunday, scoring one and setting up another goal in Paris St Germain's 3-0 win at En Avant Guingamp.
'You realise the fear when Barcelona could get knocked out. It would hurt UEFA a lot. I don't know what they have to do for someone to send one of them off'
Major world record deals are here.
This week's collection of unbelievably unusual images from across the world
Luis Suarez played a part in all three of Barcelona's goals in a scrappy 3-1 victory at Granada.
Barcelona and Argentina forward Lionel Messi had nothing to do with his own tax affairs and should not be included in an investigation into an alleged fraud, his father Jorge has insisted.
Barca are now second on 66 points, two behind Real who have a game in hand as they chase a first title triumph since 2012.
