Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and U.S. President Barack Obama are due to hold their first bilateral meeting in Manila, Philippines, on Tuesday on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. The two leaders will be focusing on topics like terrorism and Syria in their talks after the deadly attacks in Paris over the weekend.

The meeting is expected to deliver an indication on Australia’s decision to expand its role in Syria, as advocated by former Prime Minister Tony Abbott.

"This could involve less restrictive targeting rules for air strikes and the deployment of special forces on the ground in support of local forces, similar to the 2001 campaign where the Northern Alliance defeated the Taliban in Afghanistan," the former prime minister wrote in an opinion piece on the Australian.

Earlier this week Turnbull met briefly with Obama at the G20 summit. He was also spotted having a conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the same summit.

The summit to be held today will become a platform for the world leaders to hold talks and discuss counter-terrorism measures following the events that unfolded in the past few days.

"I expect that the attacks in Paris, the European response, the international effort underway to end the conflict in Syria and Iraq and to deprive Daesh [Islamic State] of an operating base from which to launch attacks will be a pivotal part of the discussions," Foreign Minister Julie Bishop told the ABC’s AM Program.

Though Turnbull indicated Australia’s intentions to push for a truce in the war affected region, Bishop said Australia has received no request to further its role in Syria beyond airstrikes. Bishop will be meeting with the prime minister briefly in Manila.

Following Paris attacks only a few days back, security in Manila has been tightened. Around 30,000 military, police and civilian personnel have been fielded in one of the biggest security operations in the country in years. Amid strong indications that terrorism would be the main focus summit, there are calls for the leaders to carry on with usual business discussions.

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