DHAKA: US secretary of state John Kerry arrived in Sydney on Monday for annual talks with close ally Australia, which an official said will range from the crisis in Iraq to security issues in Asia.

The centrepiece of the Australia-United States Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN) on Tuesday is expected to be the signing of the framework for the rotational deployment of up to 2,500 US Marines through the northern city of Darwin.

A US State Department official said Kerry, US defence secretary Chuck Hagel and their Australian counterparts Julie Bishop and David Johnston will also consult on regional issues in South-east Asia and the Pacific, including Myanmar.

‘It is an opportunity for them to align their defence policies as allies to explore ways that they can extend and expand security cooperation as well as strategic planning,’ the official travelling with Kerry told media on his flight from Darwin to Sydney, reports The Straits Times.

BDST: 1242 HRS, AUG 11, 2014