The Minister of Religious Affairs Nasaruddin Umar has brought home several opportunities for international cooperation following meetings with global religious leaders in Assisi, Italy. In addition to receiving positive responses to Indonesia’s religious diplomacy initiative, the visit has opened avenues for collaboration with several countries and higher education institutions in Italy and the Vatican.

The Minister said representatives from several countries had expressed interest in establishing partnerships with the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Istiqlal Mosque. Among them were representatives from the United Kingdom, Australia, and Pakistan.

“They expressed interest in cooperating with the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Istiqlal Mosque, particularly from the United Kingdom, Australia, and Pakistan,” Nasaruddin said upon his return to Indonesia on Thursday (October 29, 2026), following his working visit to Italy and the Vatican.

He said the interest demonstrated that Indonesia’s experience in managing diversity and fostering moderate religious life was gaining increasing international recognition.

“Indonesia has now become a model, particularly in the area of religious moderation,” he said.

Beyond institutional partnerships, the Minister revealed that two universities in Italy and the Vatican had also expressed interest in developing collaborations with Indonesia. Both institutions were keen to learn from Indonesia’s experience in maintaining national unity amid a diverse society.

“Two universities in Italy and the Vatican have invited us to establish cooperation,” he said.

One of the institutions is the Pontificio Instituto for Arabic and Islamic Studies (PISAI), an institution under the authority of the Holy See. Nasaruddin said the proposed partnership could provide opportunities for mutual learning. Indonesia has valuable experience in managing a pluralistic society, while the Vatican possesses a wealth of literature and scholarly traditions that could serve as important learning resources.

“They are interested in learning from Indonesia. At the same time, I believe we also need to learn from the Vatican,” he said.

During the visit, the Minister also had the opportunity to explore the Vatican Library. He said he had come across an extensive collection of Islamic literature, including several books that he had rarely encountered in Indonesia or even in Middle Eastern countries.

For Nasaruddin, the experience underscored the importance of knowledge exchange and dialogue between religious traditions.

Indonesia’s Ideas May Shape Future International Forum Discussions

In addition to opening up opportunities for collaboration, Nasaruddin said Indonesia’s proposals on ecotheology and religious diplomacy, presented at the international forum in Assisi, had attracted the organizers’ attention. According to him, the organizers had expressed appreciation for Indonesia’s address and planned to incorporate its key themes into future discussions.

“Our statements on ecotheology and religious diplomacy will also be developed into major themes for a future meeting,” he explained.

The Minister noted that participants were interested not only in Indonesia’s approach to religious diplomacy but also in Pancasila as the foundation for national life in a diverse society. He said the speaking slot initially allocated for seven minutes had eventually extended to approximately 30 minutes as participants sought to learn more about Indonesia’s experience.

“They were interested and asked us to explain Pancasila. Pancasila can serve not only as a set of Indonesian values but also as a source of universal values,” he said.

Nasaruddin added that several interfaith cooperation initiatives previously developed through Istiqlal Mosque had also attracted interest and were being considered for further development. He identified April next year as one potential milestone for continuing the discussions.

Vatican Seeks to Strengthen Cooperation with Indonesia

During the visit, the Minister also met with the Vatican’s Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations. Their discussion focused on relations between Indonesia and the Vatican, particularly opportunities to strengthen cooperation and promote universal humanitarian values.

According to Nasaruddin, the Vatican viewed Indonesia as a country with a large Muslim population and valuable experience in fostering moderate religious life. He said one of the key shared commitments connecting Indonesia and the Vatican was the protection of oppressed communities, regardless of their religious backgrounds.

“Anyone who is oppressed deserves to be defended, regardless of their religious affiliation,” he emphasized.

The Minister expressed hope that the positive responses received during the visit would lead to concrete partnerships in interfaith dialogue, education, and the strengthening of religious diplomacy.

“I believe this is a very strong common ground between Indonesia and the Vatican,” he concluded.

Editor : I Made Juni Saputra

Photographer : I Gede Dipayana