UK ministers lay wreath at Martin Place

Julie Bishop has joined Britain's foreign secretary and defence secretary in Sydney's Martin Place to pay respects to WWI soldiers and siege victims.

Julie Bishop (centre) and the UK's Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond

Two senior UK ministers have visited the Sydney cafe siege site and laid a wreath at the Cenotaph. (AAP)

Two of Britain's senior ministers have visited the site of the deadly Sydney cafe siege after laying a wreath at the Cenotaph at Martin Place.

Visiting British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond and Defence Secretary Michael Fallon joined Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and Defence Minister Kevin Andrews at the Cenotaph on Monday morning to commemorate the centenary of World War One.

Under grey skies, a trumpeter played the Last Post as the wreath was laid.

The group was then joined by NSW Premier Mike Baird at the makeshift memorial for the two victims of the Lindt Cafe siege, barrister and mother of three Katrina Dawson and cafe manager Tori Johnson.

Mr Hammond and Ms Bishop signed a condolence book for the two innocent lives lost.

The British ministers also visited the boarded-up cafe in Martin Place.

They are in Australia for high-level talks on foreign policy, defence and security issues, including home-grown terrorism, at Kirribilli House.

"Australia and the United Kingdom are united in our efforts to stamp out extremism, to counter terrorism and to ensure that the citizens of our respective countries can be safe," Ms Bishop said.

"And I thank our British friends for their support and for taking the time this morning to sign the condolence book here in Sydney."

Mr Hammond said he was pleased to be at Martin Place and to have the opportunity to sign the condolence book on behalf of the British people.

"As the foreign minister has said, this is a global scourge - terrorism, intolerance, the corruption of the Islamic religion - and we will stand together, the British and the Australian people and our allies around the world in fighting it whenever it rears its head," he said.


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