Brazil moved one step closer to adopting the Japanese-produced ISDB-T digital television system after signing a memorandum of understanding with a top Japanese minister, according to a text released by the government in Brasilia Thursday, according to dpa. The agreement was signed in Tokyo between the foreign ministers of the two countries - Celso Amorim for Brazil and Taro Aso for Japan, the document said. The Brazilian government emphasized that no formal decision had been made to install the Japanese digital television system in the country of 186 million people - but the memorandum would be important in case the government makes that decision. The Brazilian government has expressed extreme interest in the Japanese model, and Amorim made clear that the agreement virtually assures that Brazil will opt for the Japanese system - and that only a "disaster" could derail the plan. Brazil's President Luiz Inaciao Lula da Silva already appearrs to have decided that digital is the way to go, according to the Brazilian newspaper Folha de Sao Paulo some weeks ago. --SP 23 04 Local Time 20 04 GMT
