RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesia's Minister of Culture, Fadli Zon, held a diplomatic meeting with the Ambassador of Greece to Indonesia, Dimitrios Michalopoulos, in Jakarta on Tuesday June 2. The discussion focused on strengthening bilateral cultural relations through a renewed cultural cooperation framework, museum partnerships, and joint efforts to support the repatriation of cultural artifacts.

During the meeting, both sides agreed to draft a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to replace the 2004 Agreement on Education and Culture, which expired in 2018. The new agreement is expected to provide an updated framework for cultural cooperation between Indonesia and Greece.

In the museum sector, cooperation will be centered on direct institutional partnerships. As museums in Greece operate independently, Indonesian cultural heritage institutions will have the opportunity to establish direct collaborations with Greek museums, including the Numismatic Museum and Byzantine-era museums.

The planned cooperation will cover scientific conservation exchanges as well as exhibitions of Indonesian artifacts in Greece. Such initiatives are expected to introduce Indonesia's rich cultural heritage to wider European audiences.

Minister of Culture Fadli Zon noted that major heritage sites in Indonesia, including Borobudur and Prambanan temples, are managed by the Indonesian Heritage Agency. This structure, he said, provides opportunities for direct cooperation with museums and cultural institutions in Greece.

Beyond museum cooperation, Indonesia and Greece also agreed to strengthen mutual support within UNESCO, particularly in combating the illicit trafficking of cultural property. The two countries emphasized the importance of coordinating efforts to protect cultural heritage and promote intangible cultural heritage at the international level.

Fadli highlighted Indonesia's recent success in securing the return of approximately 28,131 Dubois fossils from Trinil and around 30,000 artifacts from the Netherlands. He suggested that countries such as Indonesia, Greece, Iraq, and Egypt could establish a coalition to advocate for the return of cultural objects to their countries of origin.

“The era of colonial plunder has ended. The repatriation and return of cultural objects to their countries of origin is a matter of historical justice and mutual respect among nations,” Fadli Zon said. He added that the proposed coalition could strengthen international efforts to advance cultural repatriation and heritage protection worldwide.