US President George W. Bush and Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono agreed Saturday to work toward expanding bilateral military ties, a senior US administration official said.

Bush "is looking forward to finding ways to expand contact and cooperation with Indonesia on all fronts, including military-to-military, and the two presidents talked about how to move forward on that," said Michael Green, senior director for Asian affairs on the White House National Security Council.

The two leaders met on the sidelines of the two-day summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum that just ended in Busan, South Korea. Bush later flew to the US Air Force Osan Air Base outside Seoul to deliver a speech before heading to Beijing.

Briefing reporters en route to Osan, Green said Yudhoyono "made it clear that with more engagement between the militaries, he would be able to bring up more officers like himself, officers who study in the United States and are advocates of change, reform and democracy."

The Indonesian president took part in a training program in the United States during his military service. Bush told Yudhoyono, "We're going to try to move forward on that, based on full consultation with the Congress," Green said.

The United States has been stepping up engagement with Indonesia, which has the world's largest Muslim population, gradually resuming military cooperation severed in reaction to the Indonesian military's alleged involvement in human rights abuses during the process of East Timor's independence in 1999.

Green said the two presidents also talked about cooperation in fighting terrorism, dealing with bird flu, energy and ways to strengthen Indonesia's investment environment.

Yudhoyono gave a "full detailed description" of his efforts for peace in Aceh and Papua, and Bush praised him as "doing a great job" and conveyed his support for "building democracy and fighting terror and strengthening the economy in Indonesia," Green said.