Minister of interior Catalin Predoiu on Thursday voiced his appreciation for the activity of the Gendarmerie and the way in which these institutions know hot to manage tense moments that require the involvement of the law enforcement.

He participated in the 175th anniversary since the establishment of the Romanian Gendarmerie.

'I was proud to see how you knew how to wisely manage tense moments, some of which recent, how you knew how to control your intervention force that you could unleash at any time and resolve legally, but in a harsher manner, one incident or another. But it turned out that you are not just a force, you are a wise force, you are a mature force, you are a responsible force, which knows how to dialogue, negotiate, mediate, and temper, so that those who, at one moment or another, are more heated, more impulsive and lose control of their reason have the necessary time to recover and behave as we all should behave in such moments,' Predoiu emphasised.

According to him, the Romanian Gendarmerie represents a fundamental institution of the Ministry of Interior, of the Romanian state, a key institution for protecting the rights and freedoms of citizens and for public peace.

'We are celebrating 175 years of history together. There are 175 years of challenges, 175 years of work full of sacrifice in the service of citizens, the homeland and the tricolor. There are 175 years of dense history, full of sacrifices, trials, improvement, reform, backsteps and progress, tense moments and happy moments. There are 175 years that have left their mark on the Gendarmerie,' the minister of interior added.

Catalin Predoiu also said that every year tens of thousands of new challenges appear, smaller and larger public gatherings, from a few hundred people to tens of thousands, festivals, sports events, political events, events where people gather to celebrate or gather to protest, gather happily or gather angry.

'In each of these circumstances, you are a benchmark. You are a benchmark of calm, safety, self-control, you are the law and an example for all those who want to remain within the boundaries of the law. (...) I was proud to note that last year you did not have any incident that could not be managed. Citizens came and left these gatherings that I evoke, tens of thousands, as they traveled to them, without being harmed, without being injured, always returning home, among their families and being able to resume their lives the next day,' said Catalin Predoiu. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Daniel Alexandru Florea, EN - writing by: Cristina Zaharia)