Indonesia is open to discussing the coalition's policy to turn back asylum seeker boats but its foreign minister Marty Natalegawa says any anti-people smuggling efforts must be in sync with bilateral and regional measures.
Dr Natalegawa said his country has had good communications with the Australian opposition about where it wants to take asylum seeker policy.
Earlier this month a joint communique from Mr Rudd and the Indonesian President stressed the importance of avoiding unilateral actions which might jeopardise a comprehensive regional approach or
The language was widely regarded as a rebuke of the coalition policy.
On Monday Dr Natalegawa said "unilateral action" could be troublesome if it was taken in total disregard to bilateral and regional settings.
"The task for all of us is to make sure that those efforts, the national efforts including of the type that parties here in Australia may be contemplating, ... are in sync or in synergy with bilateral and regional efforts, so that we don't cancel one another out," he told Sky News.
But he said it was yet to be seen whether Australia sending asylum seeker boats back to Indonesia would be "in sync".
"It is important for us to be talking," he said.
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