Jakarta, June 29 -- Culture Minister Fadli Zon said Indonesia's vast cultural assets can be developed into a source of economic growth and diplomacy.

"With around 1,340 ethnic groups, 718 regional languages, thousands of intangible cultural heritage elements, and various World Heritage sites, Indonesia has a strong foundation for building a culture-based economy," he said in a statement on Sunday.

According to Fadli, culture should be positioned as a strategic foundation for achieving national economic independence.

He described culture as both a civilizational resource and an engine of growth capable of creating added value and improving public welfare.

"The economic independence that we aspire to must grow from our own strengths, si...