Australia, Indonesia rekindle relations following drug smugglers' execution

Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop met with her Indonesian counterpart for the first time since Australian drug smugglers Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran were executed near Bali in April.

Julie Bishop and Retno Marsudi held "candid" talks at the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) conference on Wednesday, in an effort to strengthen the ties between the two nations that have soured in recent times.

Bishop told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) on Thursday the talks had reaffirmed the generally-positive relationship the two nations share.

"We had a very open and candid discussion about a whole range of issues and, as I anticipated, the relationship is strong," Bishop told the ABC.

"I believe that we will be able to engage even more deeply across a whole range of matters that are of concern to both Australia and Indonesia."

Following the controversial executions of Chan and Sukumaran, relations were further strained when Australia recalled its ambassador to Indonesia, and came under more duress after allegations surfaced that Australia had paid people smugglers to turn a boat full of asylum seekers back to Indonesia.

However Bishop said both governments were "determined" work more closely for the good of both the Australian and Indonesian people despite the tumultuous recent history.

"Like any neighbors there will be tense moments, there will be challenges, there will be issues that we have to resolve, but our government is determined to ensure that our relationship with Indonesia is on a strong footing at all times," she said.

She said a multitude of government departments were working with Indonesian counterparts on a range of issues and common areas of interest to ensure a stronger bilateral relationship. Endi