Tony Abbott has described his telephone conversation with the Indonesian president over the fate of two Australians on death row as positive, but preparations for their executions haven’t stopped.

The prime minister made the call to Joko Widodo on Wednesday night, but isn’t revealing what was said about the predicament of Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan.

“I don’t think it would help the case of these two young Australians if I was to start ventilating in public the contents of the conversation,” he told reporters in Canberra on Thursday.

“Suffice it to say that the president absolutely understands our position.”

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Mr Abbott said he thought President Widodo was carefully considering Indonesia’s position.

The president rejected clemency for the Bali Nine drug runners and other death row drug offenders as he grapples with Indonesia’s “drugs emergency”.

Indonesian Foreign Ministry spokesman Arrmanatha Nasir on Thursday said he wasn’t privy to the phone call, but told reporters dialogue was still open.

“We understand this is a difficult time for the two Australians,” he said.

Indonesia understood Australia’s duty to make representations for its citizens, within the boundaries of Indonesia’s legal corridors, he said.

“When we have open communication, which we do with Australia, this helps ensure that our bilateral relationship remains intact even in the most difficult situation,” he said.

Indonesia’s plans to execute 10 people continue to take shape.

Isolation cells at the execution place, Nusakambangan in Central Java, are nearing completion.

Bali Chief Prosecutor Momock Bambang Samiarso says he has received no instructions from Jakarta to delay the transfer of Chan and Sukumaran from Kerobokan to the island.

He was still waiting for the go-ahead, and if there were any further delays, they would be for technical reasons – in other words, if the island wasn’t ready.

“We’re moving as usual,” he told reporters.

“If there’s delay, it’s just a matter of technical issues, not political.”

Lawyers for Chan and Sukumaran say it would be unjust to execute them while they have a legal appeal planned.

Some of the other prisoners in line for execution are also pursuing legal avenues, and one, Brazilian Rodrigo Gularte, has been promised a second opinion on his mental health before facing the firing squad.

Mr Abbott last week upset Jakarta when he suggested it should consider reciprocating Australia’s generous $1 billion aid for the 2004 tsunami.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has since called Vice President Jusuf Kalla to explain the prime minister was only raising the long-standing relationship.

-AAP