Japan to give Indonesia high-speed patrol boats in security deal

Japan will give Indonesia two high-speed patrol boats, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said Saturday.  Ishiba made the pledge during a visit to Jakarta, where he held talks with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto on a range of bilateral issues.

"They agreed on establishing working-level defence consultations on our maritime security, including on defence equipment technical cooperation," Ishiba was quoted as saying in a joint statement. He said the two countries also agreed to cooperate in decarbonized energy sectors, such as geothermal power, hydrogen, ammonia and biofuels. His trips to Malaysia and Indonesia mark Ishiba's first official state visit since taking office in October.