Indonesia, Timor-Leste Boost Cooperation on Cultural Heritage

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesia and Timor-Leste enhance cultural cooperation through collaboration on museums, libraries, cultural heritage preservation, and cultural exchange programs. The commitment was discussed during a meeting between Indonesian Culture Minister, Fadli Zon and Timor-Leste’s Vice Minister for Arts and Culture, Jorge Soares Cristovão in Jakarta on Wednesday, August 12, 2026.

Fadli Zon welcomed Timor-Leste’s support for Indonesia’s election to the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage for the 2026–2030 term. He said the strong relationship between the two countries could be further strengthened through expanded cultural cooperation.

The two sides also discussed Indonesia’s plan to develop a Center of Excellence for World Heritage as a platform for learning, capacity building and knowledge exchange in the field of cultural heritage. Other potential areas of cooperation include the reactivation of the Indonesian Cultural House in Dili and the exploration of joint nominations for intangible cultural heritage to UNESCO.

“Because we share many cultural similarities, we can explore the possibility of joint nominations for intangible cultural heritage to UNESCO,” Fadli said. He also invited Pacific countries, including Timor-Leste, to participate in cultural residencies at the Indonesian Institute of the Arts Yogyakarta, particularly to encourage collaboration among young artists.

Jorge welcomed the proposed cooperation and highlighted opportunities to develop joint programs in music and traditional textiles. He said cultural ties between the two countries, particularly among communities living along the border, provide a strong basis for cooperation and joint nominations.

“Culturally, we cannot separate Timor-Leste, especially the communities in the border areas, because the cultures in these regions have already become interconnected,” Jorge said. He added that collaboration and joint nominations were important to preserve and develop shared cultural heritage.

The two countries also discussed cooperation in library and museum management, including staff training, cataloging and collection management. Timor-Leste plans to complete construction of its National Library next year and its National Museum by mid-2028, creating opportunities for cooperation with Indonesia’s National Library and National Museum.

Fadli said Indonesia was ready to support capacity building in Timor-Leste’s library and museum sectors, including through exchanges of expertise and specialists. The meeting also discussed transforming the Timor-Timor Museum at Taman Mini Indonesia Indah in Jakarta into the Indonesia-Timor-Leste Friendship Museum as part of efforts to strengthen the historical and cultural ties between the two countries.

The two sides agreed to follow up on plans to prepare a memorandum of understanding and develop the various cultural cooperation initiatives discussed during the meeting. The collaboration is expected to strengthen friendship between Indonesia and Timor-Leste while opening broader opportunities for cultural cooperation.