The former PM is on his first overseas mission in his new role to New York for bilateral meetings and the United Nations general assembly later this week.
Mr Rudd's told ABC Radio the opposition can say what it likes but as foreign minister he's acting in Australia's national and international interests.
He refused to comments on events before he was dumped as PM for Julia Gillard.
Meanwhile, Prime minister Gillard is making plans of her own to visit Belgium, Vietnam, South Korea and Japan in a hectic six-week schedule starting early next month.
She'll be in Brussels on October 4 for the Asia-Europe Meeting then return home .. before flying out on October 29 to Vietnam for the East Asia Summit and the first ASEAN-Australia leaders summit.
It will be followed by the G20 Leaders' meeting in Seoul and the APEC meeting in Yokohama.
