Bishop says Aust playing Syria role

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop is seeking a seat for Australia at the table of a group of countries negotiating a peaceful political solution for Syria.

Australia, Canada and Japan were blocked from attending a diplomatic summit in Vienna last week which laid the groundwork for a possible future UN Security Council resolution, ceasefire and transition government in Syria.

The summit's ideas have been taken up by leaders at the G20 summit in Antalya, Turkey.

Ms Bishop, who is in Manila for APEC-related meetings but will meet up with Malcolm Turnbull later on Tuesday, told AAP she welcomed the result of the International Syria Support Group meeting in Vienna - particularly the commitment to work on transition arrangements and a ceasefire in the near-term.

She also supported an end to indiscriminate attacks on civilians.

"It is important that the regime and opposition groups and their supporters work to implement these commitments in good faith," Ms Bishop said.

She said she had consistently advocated a negotiated political solution to the Syrian conflict, while at the same time seeking to defeat Islamic State.

"My position is that we should not be prescriptive about what the political solution is and no option should be excluded at this stage," she said.

She said Australia "should be part of the discussions".

Ms Bishop's position, which also includes support for Iran being at the table, is similar to Russia's.

But it is understood Russia wants to keep the talks confined to a small group of countries, most of which are within the region near Syria.

The foreign minister has been involved in a series of talks in Paris and New York on defeating IS and resolving the Syrian crisis.

"This should be a forum for all interested parties to raise their views," Ms Bishop said of the ISSG.

The minister has been critical of Russia's handling of the MH17 disaster, but a senior government figure said it had nothing to do with Australia missing out on the Vienna talks.

Further talks are expected within a month.