Bhopal. On Friday, the third day of the ongoing BRICS Cultural Summit-2026 in Bhopal, the capital of Madhya Pradesh, Union Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat held bilateral meetings with Indonesia’s Culture Minister Fadli Zon and South Africa’s Culture Minister Gaeton McKenzie during the BRICS Culture Ministers’ meeting.
Union Minister Shekhawat, while sharing the above information on social media, said that during the BRICS Culture Ministers’ meeting in Bhopal, it was a pleasure to have a bilateral meeting with His Excellency Gaetan McKenzie, Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture of South Africa.
We discussed strengthening India-South Africa cooperation in the areas of culture, heritage, creative industries, skill development and people-to-people exchanges.
Union Minister Shekhawat said that he also shared information about India’s major cultural initiatives, such as the ‘Gyan Bharatam Mission’ and the ‘Greater India Project’, and explored opportunities for deeper cooperation to preserve and promote our shared civilisational heritage.
Shekhawat said that as strategic partners and member countries of BRICS, we are committed to further strengthening our long-standing cultural ties for the benefit of our people.
In another tweet, he said, “Had a cordial and productive bilateral meeting with Indonesian Minister of Culture Fadli Zon on the sidelines of the BRICS Culture Ministers’ Meeting in Bhopal. Our discussions focused on further strengthening the centuries-old civilisational and cultural ties between India and Indonesia.”
We reviewed the progress of India’s assistance in the restoration and conservation of the iconic Prambanan Temple Complex; this is an important initiative that reflects our joint commitment to preserving our shared heritage for future generations.
He said that we also discussed enhancing cultural exchanges, strengthening people-to-people contacts and deepening cooperation in line with the vision of our leaders following the successful State visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Indonesia.
Earlier on Friday, the culture ministers of BRICS member and partner countries arrived in Bhopal and were welcomed with traditional dance at the Raja Bhoj Airport.
In the evening, the major ‘BRICS Cultural Festival 2026’ was organised, in which the message of world peace, cultural dialogue and global harmony was given through music, dance and cultural performances.