Australia's Defense Minister, Richard Marles, met with his Indonesian counterpart, Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, in Jakarta on Thursday.

The pair took part in a welcome ceremony before they were due to sit down for talks to discuss diplomatic and defense partnerships, officials said.

After Indonesia, Marles, who is also Deputy Prime Minister, will meet leaders and counterparts in the Maldives, Sri Lanka and India as part of a trip set to show the Australian government’s commitment to deepening diplomatic and defence partnerships in the Indo-Pacific, officials added.

AP video shot by: Andi Jatmiko