Tim Pawlenty will lay out his vision for U.S. policy toward the Middle East and North Africa during a speech next week at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York.

Tim Pawlenty speaks about the economy at the University of Chicago on June 7, 2011. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

The former Minnesota governor will challenge fellow Republicans to maintain a strong military and diplomatic presence overseas as some of his rivals for the GOP presidential nomination push for a smaller military footprint in Afghanistan and elsewhere in the region.

“The speech will focus on the challenges and opportunities presented by the Arab Spring,” a Pawlenty aide said. The former governor “will address President Obama’s failed leadership” in the Middle East and “touch on the need for the Republican Party to continue its support for a strong foreign policy,” the aide continued.

As a governor with little direct foreign policy experience, Mr. Pawlenty frequently highlights his knowledge and interest in world affairs in speeches, media appearances and his book. He talks frequently about his trips overseas, particularly those to visit Minnesota’s National Guard troops in war zones.