Foreign Minister Julie Bishop says it remains clear that President Bashar al-Assad will be part of a political resolution to the civil war in Syria.
Her reiteration of that stance came on the same day that British Prime Minister Theresa May, in a phone call with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, stressed the need for a political resolution in Syria excluding Assad.
Speaking in London on Thursday after meeting British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, Ms Bishop said Assad had lost his legitimacy as a leader and used chemical weapons on his own people.
She said it was clear that a military solution would not resolve the civil war in Syria and there had to be a political solution.
"It's also clear that President Assad will be part of the transition. The pre-condition that Assad must go has been a condition in place for some time but most countries have moved on from that
"There's a recognition that President Assad, backed by Russia, will have to be part of a transition and how long he remains will be a matter of negotiation."
Ms Bishop said a precondition that Assad must go would only delay the negotiations for a political solution.
"I think that's been a recognition across the coalition partners that he will be part of a transition."
When asked if Australian troops were involved in the current Iraqi assault on Islamic State militants in the the city of Mosul, Ms Bishop said Australia did not have "boots on the ground in the common understanding of the term".
But Australia had been invited by the Iraqi government to send people to help train, assist and advise Iraqi forces to build their military capability and that's what Australia would continue to do.
Ms Bishop flew to London from Washington where she held high-level talks with top Trump administration officials.
She said she was not asked in Washington if Australia was prepared to boost its commitment to fighting Islamic State in Syria or Iraq.
Ms Bishop said the Trump administration was reviewing its strategy to defeat IS and she took the opportunity to provide Australian insights into counter-terrorism and involvement in the coalition fighting IS.
"I wanted to ensure that Australia's voice was heard.
"They were open to our views and our insights and I hope that once the review is concluded Australia will be involved in the implementation of any recommendations."
Ms Bishop said that in her talks in the US and London she had discussed ways to work with China to curb North Korea's "belligerent and provocative behaviour" in its missile testing and nuclear weapons development.
"It's a regional threat and a global threat and it must be curbed."
