Indonesia, Iran Expand Cultural Cooperation Through Creative Exchange

RRI.CO.ID, Bhopal - Indonesia and Iran have agreed to enhance bilateral cultural cooperation through renewed cultural exchange programs, film and literary collaboration, people-to-people exchanges, and cooperation within UNESCO frameworks. The commitment was discussed during a bilateral meeting between Indonesia's Minister of Culture, Fadli Zon and Iranian Deputy Minister of Culture, Mohsen Javadi on the sidelines of the 11th BRICS Culture Ministers’ Meeting in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India.

Fadli Zon said Indonesia and Iran have maintained cultural ties for centuries through trade, intellectual exchanges, literature, philosophy, and the development of Islamic civilization. He said the historical connection provides a strong foundation for building more concrete and relevant cultural cooperation for future generations.

“Indonesia and Iran have a long-standing relationship, particularly in the field of culture. We need to renew and strengthen this relationship through increasingly concrete cooperation,” he said.

One of the main issues discussed was the continuation of the Cultural Exchange Programme between Indonesia and Iran for 2023–2026, which is approaching its conclusion. Both sides agreed to use the transition as an opportunity to develop a broader cooperation framework covering cultural heritage, museums, literature and translation, film, creative industries, education, and exchanges among cultural institutions and practitioners.

Film cooperation was identified as one of the priority areas, with Fadli encouraging joint productions and exchanges between filmmakers as a way to introduce the cultures of both countries to wider audiences. He also cited the Indonesian adaptation of the Iranian film Children of Heaven as an example of the creative connections of both countries.

“Film cooperation is one area that we can prioritize. Going forward, we can explore more opportunities for joint productions between filmmakers from both countries,” he said.

In literature and publishing, Iran invited Indonesia to participate in the Tehran International Book Fair and offered translation programs for Persian literature and international works into Persian. The two countries also discussed cultural weeks, cultural tourism, and cooperation through UNESCO, particularly in safeguarding intangible cultural heritage.

Fadli expressed appreciation for Iran’s contribution to UNESCO cooperation and encouraged closer collaboration following Indonesia’s election to the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage for the 2026–2030 term. Iranian Deputy Minister Mohsen Javadi, welcomed the renewed cooperation, saying the two countries share strong cultural connections that should be introduced to younger generations through film, literature, music, education, and cultural tourism, while both sides committed to turning the proposed cooperation into concrete programs.