Govt considers national war cemetery

The Abbott government is actively considering creating a national war cemetery in Canberra to commemorate the Anzac centenary in 2015.

The prime minister will visit Arlington National Cemetery in Washington on Friday, where he will lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and view the Changing of the Guards.

The cemetery is the final resting place for more than 400,000 active duty service members, veterans and their families.

Mr Abbott raised the idea of creating a similar cemetery in Australia at Legacy's national conference in Brisbane last year, describing it as "Australians' Arlington".

The concept, which he said would be a "lasting legacy" from the centenary, would involve interring significant ex-soldiers.

The prime minister, who will host the G20 summit in November, will also on Friday discuss financial and economic issues with US Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew and Federal Reserve chairwoman Janet Yellen.

Mr Abbott will receive a military welcome when he visits the Pentagon for talks with Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Martin Dempsey.

He will then head to Houston where he will deliver a speech to the Asia Society.