Indonesia and Japan’s leaders pledged to deepen bilateral cooperation on several fronts including defense, energy and food security at a meeting Saturday, as Tokyo seeks to boost its influence in Southeast Asia.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba became the first foreign leader to visit Indonesia this year, meeting President Prabowo Subianto a day after visiting neighboring Malaysia.
Japan aims to collaborate with Indonesia on boosting renewable energy, and to boost defense ties in areas such as maritime security and technology transfer, Ishiba said after the meeting. Prabowo called on Japan to collaborate on its priorities, which include a free lunch program for schools and the downstreaming of natural resources.
