Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, during his talks with President Rodrigo Duterte, unveiled his plan to provide the Philippines with two large frigates, a type of warship, in a bid to strengthen the bilateral relations between the two countries.

Presidential Communications Office Secretary Martin Andanar said during a press conference in Vientiane, Laos that one of the two frigates is now being delivered to the country.

As mentioned in the Chicago Tribune, the two 90-meter (295 feet) vessels that will be delivered to the Philippine Coast Guard to help boost the country’s maritime security capabilities are the largest that Japan has ever provided to another nation.

The warships, having thick armor designed to protect against shell, will likely be treated as weapons, as per the Chicago Tribune.

During his talks with President Duterte, Abe said he intended to build a relationship of trust with the Philippines and is looking forward to develop the two countries’ cooperation in a wide range of areas.

“Under our close partnership, I do look forward to further developing our cooperation in a wide range of areas together with you,” Abe said.

President Duterte, for his part, expressed optimism that under his term, the good bilateral relations between the two countries will be sustained.