RRI.CO.ID, Madrid - Indonesia’s Minister of Culture, Fadli Zon, and Spain’s Minister of Culture, Ernest Urtasun, have agreed to boost cultural cooperation. It is as part of efforts to deepen bilateral relations between the two countries at the Spanish Ministry of Culture Office, Madrid, 15 July 2026 .

Their discussions also covered international collaboration to protect Palestinian cultural heritage and identity. The agreement was reached during a bilateral meeting at Spain’s Ministry of Culture in Madrid on the sidelines of the International Conference on the Reconstruction of the Cultural Sector in Palestine.

In addition to addressing cultural preservation in Palestine, the two ministers explored opportunities to expand cooperation in the creative industries, particularly the film sector. Fadli Zon said renewing the bilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on culture would provide a stronger foundation for broader cooperation between Indonesia and Spain.

He emphasized that the film industry offers significant potential to further strengthen cultural ties between the two nations. “Indonesia and Spain have tremendous potential to expand cultural cooperation, particularly in the film industry. We propose creating a more accessible co-production scheme for filmmakers from both countries. We can also develop a matching fund mechanism to support joint film productions,” Fadli said.

He also highlighted the rapid growth of Indonesia’s film industry, which now produces more than 250 films annually. He noted that this strong production capacity provides a solid foundation for joint film projects and broader collaboration between the creative industries of Indonesia and Spain.

Responding to the proposal, Ernest Urtasun welcomed the opportunity to deepen bilateral cooperation in the film sector. He also expressed support for increasing the participation of Indonesian films in major international film festivals in Spain, including the San Sebastián International Film Festival and the Málaga Film Festival.

“We should explore opportunities to invite more Indonesian films to participate in these festivals. The film industry has the potential to become one of the priority areas of cooperation between our two countries,” he said.

Beyond bilateral cooperation, the two ministers reaffirmed the importance of international collaboration to safeguard Palestine’s cultural heritage as part of preserving the identity of the Palestinian people. Indonesia expressed hope that stronger cultural diplomacy with Spain would lead to more concrete partnerships in filmmaking, cultural heritage preservation, and long-term cultural exchange initiatives.