China, Russia, the United States and Japan all asked him to pay visits in the coming months once he had completed a shuttle around Europe to try to clinch a deal on a new treaty for the European Union's creaking institutions.

Sarkozy is due to visit Poland next week and he told reporters on Friday that he would visit London "in the coming days" for talks with outgoing Prime Minister Tony Blair and his successor-in-waiting, Gordon Brown.

After a brief pause over the summer months, diplomats said he might go to Russia in early autumn.

"The president of France spoke of his readiness to come to Russia ... in September. I think it is a good proposal and we will work in that direction," said Kremlin foreign policy aide Sergei Prikhodko.

The United States invited Sarkozy to meet President George W. Bush after the United Nations' annual general assembly in September and Sarkozy said he also hoped to visit China "in the second half of 2007".

"We are preparing this visit in conjunction with a certain number of economic projects," Sarkozy told reporters.

Sarkozy's predecessor Jacques Chirac toured China last October, securing $10 billion worth of deals, but missed out on a big nuclear energy contract.

Completing the round of invitations, Japan said it hoped Sarkozy would pay an official visit ahead of next year's Group of Eight summit which they are hosting.

Sarkozy has also indicated he wants to tour African states as soon as possible, meaning his international calendar is likely to be fully booked over the next 12 months.