Jakarta, Aug. 9 -- The governments of Indonesia and Iran have begun exploring ways to expand bilateral cooperation in culture, particularly in film, literature, heritage, and people-to-people exchanges.

Indonesian Culture Minister Fadli Zon and Iranian Deputy Culture Minister Mohsen Javadi discussed the matter during bilateral talks on the sidelines of the BRICS Culture Ministers' Meeting in Bhopal, India, on Saturday (Aug. 8).

"Indonesia and Iran have enjoyed enduring relations, especially in cultural affairs. We need to renew and strengthen our ties through more concrete cooperation," Fadli said in a statement cited here on Sunday.

The two sides discussed extending the four-year Indonesia-Iran Cultural Exchange Program, expiring in 2...