ISLAMABAD, Thursday, July 24, 2025 : Pakistan and Indonesia on Thursday reaffirmed their shared commitment to deepening bilateral cultural ties through heritage preservation, people-to-people exchanges, and spiritual diplomacy \u2014 marking a new chapter in the longstanding friendship between the two nations.<\/p>\n
The renewed resolve emerged during a meeting between Indonesian Minister Counsellor for Public Diplomacy, Rahmat Hindiarta, and Federal Minister for National Heritage and Culture, Aurangzeb Khan Khichi, held in Islamabad.<\/p>\n
The discussion centered on promoting mutual understanding through the preservation of shared cultural legacies \u2014 particularly ancient Buddhist heritage \u2014 and fostering deeper institutional and artistic collaboration.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Highlighting the centuries-old connection rooted in spiritual and cultural traditions, both sides emphasized the need to translate historical goodwill into meaningful contemporary partnerships. A key focus was on preserving Buddhist archaeological sites in Pakistan, such as Taxila and Takht Bahi \u2014 which the minister said bear deep civilizational links to Indonesia\u2019s Buddhist past, particularly in Bali and other regions known for their temple architecture and historical continuity.<\/p>\n
Rahmat Hindiarta praised Pakistan\u2019s cultural richness, especially the hospitality and spiritual warmth he witnessed at Sufi shrines in Punjab and Sindh. \u201cThe message of love and harmony I encountered at Sufi shrines resonates with our own values,\u201d he remarked, while also lauding the internationally acclaimed taste of Multani mangoes as \u201ca true treasure of taste.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rahmat proposed greater people-to-people contact through joint cultural festivals, tourism initiatives, and institutional linkages, stressing that \u201ccultural diplomacy must advance hand-in-hand with economic cooperation to ensure sustainable bilateral progress.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
In response, Minister Aurangzeb Khan Khichi warmly welcomed Indonesia\u2019s proposals and acknowledged the country\u2019s steadfast support during critical moments in Pakistan\u2019s history, including the 1965 war. He reaffirmed Pakistan\u2019s desire to cultivate closer cultural and religious ties with Indonesia, calling it a \u201cbrotherly Muslim nation bound by history, faith, and friendship.\u201d<\/p>\n
He announced the establishment of a Buddha Heritage Centre in Islamabad to promote Pakistan\u2019s ancient Gandhara civilization and attract religious tourism from countries like Indonesia. He also shared that the government is simplifying visa procedures to facilitate academic and spiritual visits.<\/p>\n
The Minister revealed that Pakistan has already signed cultural cooperation MoUs with nearly 90 countries and expressed readiness to initiate a similar framework with Indonesia. Both sides agreed to begin work on fresh agreements focused on cultural exchange, joint heritage preservation, and artist collaboration.<\/p>\n
In a gesture of goodwill, the Indonesian Embassy was invited to actively participate in the upcoming Lok Virsa Folk Festival in November. Minister Khichi encouraged Indonesian artists to perform and exhibit traditional music, dance, and handicrafts, offering the Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) as a platform for their cultural expressions.<\/p>\n
To institutionalize collaboration, both sides agreed to appoint focal persons to coordinate efforts \u2014 including the digitization and archiving of rare photographs and historical documents showcasing the long-standing cultural links between the two nations.<\/p>\n
The Federal Minister lauded the Indonesian Embassy\u2019s initiative to set up an \u201cIndonesian Corner\u201d<\/em> at the National Library of Pakistan, calling it a valuable step in enhancing cultural literacy and mutual understanding.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Reaffirming Pakistan\u2019s commitment to safeguarding the cultural and religious heritage of all communities, Minister Khichi emphasized that minorities in Pakistan enjoy full constitutional rights. He noted that the country is steadily moving toward greater cultural openness, inclusion, and development.<\/p>\n
The meeting concluded with the exchange of traditional books and gifts as symbols of friendship and mutual respect. Also present was Usman Shah, CEO of the Niftysphere Institute of Arts and Design, who expressed keen interest in facilitating creative collaborations between Indonesian and Pakistani artists in the future.<\/p>\n
This meeting marks a promising trajectory in Pakistan-Indonesia cultural diplomacy, blending historical reverence with forward-looking collaborations that may redefine how heritage is leveraged for soft power and mutual prosperity in the region.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISLAMABAD, Thursday, July 24, 2025 : Pakistan and Indonesia on Thursday reaffirmed their shared commitment to deepening bilateral cultural ties through heritage preservation, people-to-people exchanges, and spiritual diplomacy \u2014 marking a new chapter in the longstanding friendship between the two nations. The renewed resolve emerged during a meeting between Indonesian Minister Counsellor for Public Diplomacy, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6583,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[72,67,40],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6581","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-asia-pacific","category-diplomacy","category-national"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6581","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6581"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6581\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6583"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6581"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6581"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6581"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}