RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesia’s Minister of Religious Affairs, Nasaruddin Umar, has accepted an official invitation from Al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt. His invitation is to serve as a keynote speaker at an international seminar on ecotheology.

The minister’s presence at the prestigious academic forum comes as a direct mandate from President Prabowo Subianto, aimed at conveying Indonesia’s perspective on the role of religion in environmental conservation.

Prior to his departure from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on Sunday, January 18 2026, the minister said that the seminar provides a strategic platform to introduce Indonesia’s ecotheological approach to the global academic community and religious leaders.

“With the permission of the President, we have received a very honourable invitation to deliver a keynote speech at an international seminar on ecotheology,” the minister said.

He affirmed that global attention toward the concept of ecotheology developed in Indonesia continues to grow. This approach stresses the integration of religious values with moral responsibility in preserving nature and addressing the global climate crisis.

The minister added that Indonesia’s ecotheological discourse has previously emerged in various international interfaith forums, including at the Vatican, and has received positive responses from world religious leaders. According to him, Indonesia is regarded as the most representative country to speak on ecotheology at present.

“Indonesia is considered the most representative to speak on ecotheology at this time,” the minister stated.

Ecotheology is an approach that integrates religious values with concern for the environment, positioning environmental preservation as an integral part of faith-based responsibility. The concept underscores that human’s relationship with God cannot be separated from the duty to protect the Earth as His creation, making environmental degradation not only an ecological issue but also a moral and social one.