Brasília, July 2, 2003 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - The North of Brazil should be transformed into a huge Olympic arena, and, to develop this project, Brazil wants to count on the help of Cuban specialists. This information was furnished today by the Minister of Sports, Agnelo Queiroz, who signed a cooperation agreement with Carlos Lage, Vice-President of the Council of State and secretary of the Council of Ministers of Cuba. On the Cuban side, the Minister of Foreign Relations, Felipe Perez Roque, and the Cuban Ambassador to Brazil, Jorge Lezcano, also signed the agreement.

According to the national secretary for the Development of Sports and Leisure, Lino Castellani, Brazil wants to make use of Cuban technology to develop a sports information and documention network similar to Cuba's. Maria Paula Gonçalves explained that the agreement with the Cubans will make it possible to improve the professional training of Brazilian athletes and coaches, as well as developing the Manaus Olympic Center. Gonçalves also said that she intends to study the Cuban anti-doping control system to assess the possibility of Brazil's adopting the same system. (DAS)