Balkan Countries Sign Historic Volleyball Cooperation Agreement

  0 Liam Smith | February 21st, 2018 | European volleyball, International Volleyball, News

According to the FIVB, the Presidents of The Bosnian, Croatian, and Montenegrin Volleyball federations have signed a historic cooperation agreement in Saravejo this week aiming to promote volleyball education for children, coaches, and referees. The project will consist of sports training, seminars, workshops and frequent tryouts for young volleyball players, as youngsters will participate in three yearly camps under the supervision of FIVB licensed experts. Here is what the presidents had to say about it:

“It is my pleasure and honor that on behalf of the Croatian Volleyball Federation I can attend the signing of this historic agreement here in Sarajevo with two dear and close National Federations in order to foster our cooperation. I hope that this project will be successful and fruitful. As a member state of the European Union, we are ready, in every way, to take the initiative for any project that can bring something good for all three of these countries. We are also ready to open up the cooperation with other National Federations in the region since we think that borders do not exist when it comes to sport. We want the best for our young people, with a focus on the education of children and coaches, an exchange of experiences and, in the true sense we want to foster cross-border cooperation.” – Croatian Volleyball Federation’ Ante Baković 

“I want to convey my greetings to my dear friends from the Volleyball Federation of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina and to extend best wishes from all Volleyball players in Montenegro. I am glad that we are able to connect in this way and to share the same Volleyball courts. Of course, this is in order to raise the current level and status of our sport. Volleyball deserves this, and we do this especially for the good of all young and future Volleyball players. We, as federations, feel the obligation to provide the best possible conditions for dealing with this sport, but also for learning, for education and development. I hope this will be another step forward in terms of further improving the already good cooperation among these three Federations.” – Montenegrin Volleyball Federation’s Cvetko Pajković

“I am pleased to sign this, for all of us, extremely important agreement that will further strengthen the good cooperation among our three federations. I am truly honored to be able to sign this agreement and I hope that the results will be visible in the near future. It is about the education of children and mass participation in the sport. We also want to educate coaches and referees. Signing the agreement is a pre-condition to submit projects benefiting from IPA funds, and the announcement of the relevant call is due to follow in April. The Volleyball Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina will do nothing on its own, as the three Federations will join forces in the project and any implementation will take place in Croatia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, thus sharing the core and goals of this agreement.” – Bosnian Volleyball Federation’s Alija Fatić

The Balkans is a historically fragile geopolitical region which has undergone a lot of conflict in the past few years. Such a cooperation between its key countries, even if on the sports scene instead of the political scene, is a motive for celebration.

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