"Despite being a small country, Qatar has many diverse museums. Hence, this is a good opportunity for Yogyakarta to learn from Qatar," Yogyakarta's Permit and Investment Office Head Agus Priono stated.
After accompanying the Sultan on the meeting with the Qatari envoy at Yogyakarta Kraton Complex, Priono said the cooperation will be followed up through the Qatari Embassy in Jakarta.
Al-Kawari has significant experience in museum development, as he has served as Qatari cultural minister and director of the Qatari National Museum, he noted.
During the meeting, the deputy PM also expressed Qatar's support for Yogyakarta's effort to nominate its "Philosophical Axis" as a world cultural heritage, Priono added.
Yogyakarta's Philosophical Axis refers to the imaginary line that stretches in the province's north-south axis from Mount Merapi to the southern coast, with various structures and monuments in Yogyakarta representing the line.
Meanwhile, the province's Cultural Office head, Dian Lakshmi Pratiwi, said that Yogyakarta and Qatar would intensify their talks on museum management cooperation.
She said the cooperation should be optimised, as Yogyakarta now has at least 50 museums.
"We are now conceiving concepts of the museums, particularly on its resources and facilities. We should utilise this cooperation opportunity to enhance the quality of museum management in Yogyakarta," Pratiwi stated.
She added that through the cooperation, networks connecting museums in Qatar and Yogyakarta could be established.
"Hence, anyone who visits a museum in Qatar can receive information about something interesting in Indonesia, primarily at museums in Yogyakarta," the cultural office head said.
Besides cooperation in the museum sector, Pratiwi pointed out that the cooperation can be extended to cover the development of the Yogyakarta Cultural Centre.
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Translator: Luqman Hakim, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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