Hill said the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) regional meeting would be held in Melbourne in February.

"There are increasing concerns about the possibility of terrorists acquiring weapons of mass destruction (WMD), including biological weapons, and we see a valuable role for this workshop and follow-up activities in reducing the possibility of bioterrorism in our region," Hill said in a statement.

"By holding this workshop, Australia and Indonesia continue to demonstrate their strong commitment to stopping the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and keeping our region free of biological weapons," he said.

"Australia and Indonesia have worked together closely in the past to promote effective implementation in our region of various arms control and disarmament treaties including the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty and the Chemical Weapons Convention," he said.

The BWC bars signatory states from producing, stockpiling or acquiring biological weapons or their delivery systems.

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