Jakarta: Indonesian President Joko Widodo thanked Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull for Australia's assistance fighting the forest fires when he arrived in Jakarta on Thursday.

Australia has provided firefighting equipment to help tackle the fires in Borneo and Sumatra that have coated the region in dangerous haze and resulted in 19 deaths and half a million respiratory tract infections.

At a bilateral meeting at the presidential palace, Mr Joko said the close proximity of Australia and Indonesia was a fact.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and his wife Lucy with Indonesian President Joko Widodo and his wife Iriana at Merdeka Palace in Jakarta. Photo: AP

"The closer the distance the higher the intensity of the interaction, which means there is high potential for friction," Mr Joko said, before journalists were asked to leave the room.

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Earlier Mr Joko had congratulated Mr Turnbull on becoming prime minister and welcomed the plan to open a consulate in Makassar in eastern Indonesia next year.

Mr Turnbull said it was a real honour to be in Indonesia - his first visit to Asia as Prime Minister - and he and his wife Lucy could not have asked for a warmer welcome.

Indonesia's forest fires have affected the air across South-east Asia and caused respiratory problems for hundreds of thousands of people. Photo: Getty Images

"Australian and Indonesia share a very close partnership spanning seven decades," Mr Turnbull said. "One of the shining moments, proudest moments of Australia's contribution to global affairs was the diplomatic support provided in the immediate postwar struggle for Indonesian sovereignty and independence.

"The Lombok Treaty is of course a landmark agreement that symbolises and formalises the strong and mutual respect between our two great nations."

Mr Turnbull's one-day trip to Indonesia has widely been seen as an opportunity to reset the diplomatic relationship, which was fractured by the executions of Bali Nine pair Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, revelations that Canberra spied on top Indonesian officials and Australia's boat turnback policy, which Indonesia sees as an affront to its sovereignty.

Former prime minister Tony Abbott also caused widespread offence when he reminded Indonesia of Australia's aid to Indonesia after the 2004 tsunami in a bid to save the lives of Chan and Sukumaran.

Australia's ambassador to Indonesia, Paul Grigson, was recalled for five weeks after the executions.