The MoU was signed by the Federation's vice-president Miroslav Bratic and on behalf of the Ministry of Defence by Brigadier General Sinisa Radovic.

Bratic said that the Serbian Army had many judokas and thanked the International Judo Federation (IJF)  for its help.

Radovic, the chief of the Serbian delegation to the International Military Sport Council, in his speech, said: "The Ministry and the Army have been cooperating with the Judo Federation of Serbia for a long time, and the signing of this document will formalise the legal form of cooperation."

Radovic added: "The Judo Federation of Serbia has both material and human capacities and expertise. 

"We want to educate ourselves and achieve the highest standards in the field of sports, judo and martial arts, which are an important segment of the defence system for all structures."

After the MoU was signed, Stefan Marginean,  manager of the IJF Military and Police Commission, congratulated the two bodies.

"The present convention will allow the development of a true collaboration between the two parties in their complete interest, and we are convinced that the values and principles of judo will contribute and will be beneficial to the entire and continuous process of professional training for all categories of military personnel," he said.