Witnessed by Prabowo and Lukashenko, Indonesia and Belarus Sign Cultural Cooperation Agreement
The Governments of the Republic of Indonesia and the Republic of Belarus have officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Cultural Cooperation. This partnership represents a strategic step to strengthen Indonesia’s cultural diplomacy on the global stage.
Under the leadership of President Prabowo Subianto, Indonesia continues to reinforce cultural diplomacy as a pillar of international relations. Culture is a source of Indonesia’s soft power, capable of building trust, strengthening friendships, and opening mutually beneficial cooperation with various countries. The signing of this MoU serves as a crucial foundation for building a sustainable partnership between Indonesia and Belarus through the arts, cultural heritage, and creativity, said Minister of Culture Fadli Zon in a statement on Friday.
The document was signed by Indonesian Minister of Culture Fadli Zon and Belarusian Foreign Minister Maxim Ryzhenkov. The moment was witnessed directly by President Prabowo Subianto and President Aleksandr Lukashenko at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on Thursday.
The agreement is one of the concrete outcomes of President Lukashenko’s state visit to Indonesia. It underscores the commitment of both nations to make culture a key pillar of their strategic partnership. The MoU also provides a foundation for more structured and mutually beneficial collaboration to strengthen people-to-people relations.
Fadli Zon expressed hope that the implementation of the agreement would go beyond a mere document, resulting in tangible programmes that can be felt directly by the citizens of both countries. Through this cooperation, we aim to bring together artists, cultural practitioners, museums, arts institutions, academics, and creative communities from both nations to learn, create, and innovate together. This is the essence of cultural diplomacy: building closeness between people that ultimately strengthens relations between countries. We hope the implementation of this MoU will produce various concrete programmes that further strengthen Indonesia’s position as a global cultural power, he added.
The scope of the MoU covers various cultural sectors, including the development of networks for performing arts, theatre, cinematography, and artist organisations, as well as international museum exhibitions and film festivals. Additionally, the cooperation targets capacity building for artists through workshops and residencies, the protection and restoration of historical heritage, and the preservation of folklore, fine arts, traditional dance, traditional music, and handicrafts.
To ensure the effective implementation of the agreement, Indonesia and Belarus will establish a Joint Working Group. This team will be responsible for designing, facilitating, and evaluating sustainable programmes. The MoU will be valid for five years from the date of signing and can be extended automatically by mutual agreement.
For Indonesia, this cooperation is part of an effort to strengthen diplomacy through soft power, utilising the nation’s wealth of cultural heritage, arts, and creativity as strategic assets. In line with President Prabowo Subianto’s vision to strengthen Indonesia’s global standing, cultural diplomacy is expected to become a force that expands Indonesia’s positive influence, builds inclusive international partnerships, and delivers tangible benefits to the communities and cultural practitioners of both countries.