Prime Minister Tony Abbott has vowed to have a robust conversation with Vladimir Putin at the APEC summit to ensure the Russian president guarantees he’s doing everything possible to assist investigations into the MH17 disaster.

The Kremlin has confirmed that Mr Putin will hold formal talks with Mr Abbott in Beijing but says the meeting “will be short”.

Speaking ahead of his departure for the summit, Mr Abbott did not repeat his earlier threats to shirtfront Mr Putin but said he would take a strong message from the Australian people.

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He said he would seek Mr Putin’s personal assurance that MH17 isn’t swept under the carpet or forgotten.

“I will speak for our dead, I will speak for our nation, I will speak for decency and for humanity in stating to the Russian president he owes it to us, he owes it to our common humanity to ensure that justice is done,” he told reporters in Melbourne.

Mr Abbott is also expected to meet with US President Barack Obama during the leaders forum on Monday, where regional heads aim to clinch a pan-Pacific trade deal.

Australia has long sought a face-to-face meeting with Mr Putin, the first since Malaysia Airlines flight 17 was shot down over east Ukraine, killing all 298 people aboard, including 38 Australian citizens and residents.

While much has been made of Mr Abbott’s plans to “shirtfront” the Russian president at the G20 in Brisbane over the downing of MH17, the pair will encounter each other first in Beijing.

Mr Putin’s top foreign policy adviser Yury Ushakov confirmed to reporters that Moscow had agreed to a meeting on Tuesday in Beijing.

“It will be short,” Ushakov said.

The APEC summit marks the beginning of a whirlwind week of diplomacy for Mr Abbott, who will also visit Myanmar for Asian security talks before returning to Australia to host the G20.