Russian Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin and his Bolivian counterpart Jeyson Auza have held talks over developing a new strategic partnership to enhance sport in the two countries.
Matytsin told Russia’s official state news agency TASS that sport was an “important and promising area” for Russia and the South American nation to strengthen ties with the possibility of staging “joint training and sports events”.
A memorandum of cooperation looks set to be signed between Matytsin and Pinto as they bid to provide athletes from Russia and Bolivia with chances to train in the respective nations.
“Cooperation between Russia and Bolivia in the field of sports is an important and promising area for the two countries,” Matytsin told TASS.
“Despite the distance between our states, we have common interests and opportunities for the development of joint projects [and] interaction to a new strategic level.
“The document provides for joint training and sports events, exchange of experience in football, rhythmic gymnastics, motor sports, rock climbing, water skiing, artistic gymnastics and athletics.”
According to TASS, Auza expressed his readiness to put pen to paper on a memorandum of cooperation.
He also reportedly added that 10 places would be allocated for Bolivian athletes to train in Russia.
The Russian International Olympic University offers a scholarship scheme where a Bolivian student can secure a spot on the master of sports administration course.
The talks between Matytsin and Pinto come after Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met his Bolivian counterpart Rogelio Mayta in Venezuela earlier this week.
They also come at a time when Russian athletes remain largely frozen out of international sport in response to the war in Ukraine.
Several sports have started to readmit athletes from Russia and Belarus after the International Olympic Committee recommended last month that they should be allowed to return to the global sporting stage as long as they adhere to strict conditions of neutrality.
Source : Inside The Games
