Indonesia and Spain Cooperate to Protect Palestinian Culture

Indonesian Minister of Culture Fadli Zon and Spanish Minister of Culture Ernest Urtasun met to discuss strengthening bilateral cooperation. The two countries also affirmed their support for the protection of Palestinian culture during the bilateral meeting in Madrid, Spain. The meeting, held on the sidelines of the International Conference on the Reconstruction of the Cultural Sector in Palestine, discussed support for the establishment of an International Alliance for the Protection of Palestinian Culture as an effort to safeguard Palestinian identity and cultural heritage. Fadli Zon appreciated the Spanish government’s initiative in strengthening international support for the protection of Palestinian culture. “Indonesia is the country with the largest Muslim population in the world. However, it is not only because of that factor; support for the Palestinian struggle comes from the government, parliament, and the Indonesian people at large,” said Fadli Zon. UNESCO is currently developing a number of programmes to support the protection of Palestinian culture. In addition, the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO) together with the Arab League are also running various initiatives to synergise international efforts in preserving Palestinian cultural heritage. Urtasun appreciated Indonesia’s commitment to supporting the protection of Palestinian culture. “We have a strong commitment to support 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,” he said. The two ministers also discussed updating the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the field of culture as a foundation for developing various cooperation programmes, particularly in the film sector. “We propose facilitating a co-production scheme for filmmakers from both countries. In addition, we can develop a matching fund scheme to support filmmakers,” Fadli Zon said in a press release confirmed in Jakarta on Thursday. Indonesia and Spain have significant opportunities to develop film industry collaboration through an easy co-production scheme for filmmakers from both countries. According to Fadli Zon, the Indonesian film industry currently produces more than 250 films annually, providing capital to expand joint productions and strengthen the creative industry networks of both nations. Fadli Zon emphasised that Indonesia is committed to further strengthening bilateral relations with Spain through cultural diplomacy. He stated that the cooperation between the two countries could be further developed through the establishment of cultural centres, strengthening collaboration in the field of cultural heritage, and developing a sustainable joint agenda. Responding to the proposal, Spanish Minister of Culture Ernest Urtasun expressed support for strengthening film cooperation between Indonesia and Spain. He also encouraged increased participation of Indonesian films in various international film festivals in Spain, including the San Sebastián Film Festival and the Málaga Film Festival. “We need to explore opportunities to invite Indonesian films to participate in these festivals. The film sector can be one of the priority areas in cooperation between the two countries,” said Urtasun.