Fadli Zon And Eppo Bruins Agree On Return Of Indonesian Cultural Heritage From The Netherlands

Menbud Fadli Zon Meets The Minister Of Education, Culture, And Dutch Science HE Eppo Bruins In The Hague, June 14 (Doc. Kemenbud)

DEN HAAG - Indonesia and the Netherlands have agreed to return the Indonesian cultural heritage stored in the Netherlands. Indonesian Culture Minister Fadli Zon has met with the Minister of Education, Culture and Dutch Science HEE Eppo Bruins and agreed to accelerate the repatriation process of Indonesian cultural objects.

The bilateral meeting which took place at the office of the Dutch OCW Ministry in The Hague, Saturday, June 14, strengthened Indonesia-Netherlands cultural relations. The main focus of this agenda is the acceleration of repatriation of artifacts, research on the origins of collections, strengthening institutional cooperation, and simplifying administrative procedures.

"This is not just a matter of returning objects. This is about restoring the nation's history and self-esteem," said Fadli Zon in a written broadcast received by VOI, June 14. He also expressed his appreciation for the return of 828 cultural objects until the end of 2024, including the Maha Band Collection, Lombok Assets, and 68 artifacts from the Rotterdam Museum.

On the other hand, Eppo Bruins voiced a commitment that was equally harsh. "Whatever does not belong to the Netherlands, must return to its place of origin. Something stolen should not be stored here," he said. He added that the research process of origin is important, but the return process must not drag on or be hampered by the bureaucracy.

This repatriation agenda will be strengthened through the extension of the Technical Arrangement on Repatriation which is scheduled to be signed in July 2025. This agreement is part of the implementation of the Indonesia's Netherlands Comprehensive Partnership and Plan of Action 2024 2025, where culture is one of the main pillars.

Not only repatriation, but the two ministers also discussed continued collaboration in the management of colonial archives. The implementation of the 2022-2027 ANRI's NAN 2022 'NUE will be strengthened, including support from the Netherlands for the revitalization of the Indonesian National Museum to become a reference center for museum governance in Southeast Asia.

Fadli also highlighted the importance of cooperation in the creative industry. He encouraged the optimization of the film cooperation agreement signed in December 2024, and proposed the establishment of a Joint Development Fund between the Indonesian Fund and institutions such as Mondrian Fonds. One of the tangible results of this collaboration is the film City War' which is the closing of the 2025 Rotterdam Film Festival.

Another important topic is the strategic role of Indonesia House Amsterdam (IHA) as a node for Indonesia's cultural diplomacy and creative economy in Europe. Fadli and Bruins agreed to encourage IHA's synergy with Erasmus Huis Jakarta, which will commemorate its 55th anniversary of work in Indonesia in November 2025.

At the end of the meeting, Fadli Zon officially invited Eppo Bruins and the Dutch delegation to attend the 2025 CHANDI Summit in Bali which will discuss policies, sustainability, and cross-border innovation.