It is up to the Australian government to decide whether to enhance their military presence in Iraq, visiting U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney said Saturday.

Cheney was speaking at a joint news conference after talks with Australian Prime Minister John Howard in Sydney, Australia's largest city.

The two leaders discussed the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, Iran 's nuclear activities, the Australian detaninee in Guantanamo Bay David Hicks and other issues.

When asked about whether he has asked Australia to send more troops to Iraq, Cheney said it is up to the Australian government to decide whether to boost its military presence in the Gulf country.

"The cooperation between our militaries has been superb, the contribution on the part of the Australians has been significant in every respect," Cheney said.

"I also want to emphasize the decisions about what Australia does going forward, with respect to force levels, is a decision for the government of Australia," he said.

"Those decisions are obviously to be made by the Australian government based on their considerations as well as, I would expect, the conditions on the ground in that part of the world," he said.

"It's not for us to stress to our allies what their appropriate response might be," he added.

Meanwhile, Howard and Cheney described Australia's relationship with the United States as "rock solid."

Howard is facing growing domestic pressure from the opposition and the public to withdraw from Iraq.

However, he announced Monday that Australia will send up to 70 extra military trainers to help the Iraqi army and police to build up skills to deal with growing sectarian violence.

Australia, a staunch supporter of the U.S.-led war on terror, currently maintains around 1,400 troops in the Middle East, including 800 based inside Iraq. About 30 Australian instructors are helping train the Iraqi army at a training center near Tallil.

On the issue of Hicks, an Australian terror suspect who has been detained in Gauntanamo Bay for years without a trial, Cheney said everything is being done by his government to have Hicks brought to trial as soon as possible.

The Australian government is also facing pressure from politicians and the public to either bring Hicks to trial quickly or bring him home.

Source: Xinhua