Indonesia, Spain to Cooperate on Protecting Palestinian Culture

Indonesia and Spain have pledged to bolster their cultural ties, with a significant focus on safeguarding Palestinian cultural heritage. The commitment was solidified during a bilateral meeting in Madrid between Indonesian Minister of Culture Fadli Zon and Spanish Minister of Culture Ernest Urtasun.

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Indonesia is the country with the largest Muslim population in the world. However, it is not only because of this factor that support for the Palestinian struggle comes from the government, parliament, and Indonesian society at large.

The ministers explored the establishment of an "International Alliance for the Protection of Palestinian Culture." This initiative aims to protect Palestinian identity and cultural heritage. Fadli Zon highlighted Indonesia's broad support for the Palestinian cause, emphasizing that it stems from the government, parliament, and the wider Indonesian society, not solely due to its large Muslim population.

Both nations are also set to renew a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on culture. This updated agreement will serve as a foundation for developing joint work programs, particularly in the film sector. Indonesia proposed co-production schemes and matching funds to facilitate collaboration between filmmakers from both countries. Fadli Zon noted that Indonesia's annual production of over 250 films provides a strong basis for expanding joint productions and strengthening creative industry networks.

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We have a strong commitment to supporting Palestine. Together with UNESCO, we have made great efforts to support culture in Ukraine, and we believe that similar efforts need to be made for Palestine.

Spanish Minister Urtasun expressed support for enhanced film cooperation, drawing parallels with Spain's efforts to support Ukrainian culture. He affirmed Spain's strong commitment to supporting Palestine. The ministers also discussed updating the cultural MoU to foster deeper collaboration in areas such as cultural heritage and to establish a sustainable joint agenda.

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We propose a simplified co-production scheme for filmmakers from both countries. Additionally, we can develop a matching fund scheme to support filmmakers.