Minister of Internal Affairs Catalin Predoiu stated, on the occasion of the 'Carpathian Blue Shield 2026' exercise, that developments in the security area and the increasingly interconnected nature of risks necessitate the continuous adaptation of public order structures and the development of their capacity to act jointly in real-world situations involving threats or danger.

'Risks are becoming increasingly interconnected. Therefore, the actions of law enforcement forces must likewise be interconnected, not only within national structures but also across agencies from different ministries and countries. Hosting this exercise in Romania demonstrates our ability to coordinate structures from numerous nations and, together with our partners, to enhance interoperability and rapid response capabilities regarding threats to public order and safety,' Predoiu stated, according to a press release from the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

The exercise brings together over 500 participants from 19 countries across three continents: Romania, Italy, the Republic of Moldova, Bulgaria, Hungary, France, Slovakia, Ukraine, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Estonia, Finland, Turkey, Belgium, Qatar, the United States of America, Portugal, and Poland. 'Hosting an exercise of this magnitude in Romania highlights the capacity of Romanian institutions to organize, coordinate, and integrate multinational structures within a shared training framework, as well as to actively contribute to enhancing interoperability and response capabilities regarding public order and safety,' the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MAI) reports.

The exercise also holds significant democratic importance. Preparing public order structures contributes not only to increasing operational capacity but also to strengthening the institutions' ability to uphold the law and public order, and to protect citizens' rights.

The scenarios and activities are designed to mirror real-life situations as closely as possible in order to test and develop joint procedures, inter-agency coordination, information sharing, interoperability, and integrated response capabilities.

Carpathian Blue Shield 2026 is part of the ongoing professional training process for MAI structures and their adaptation to evolving security risks and challenges.

By hosting the exercise, Romania reinforces its profile as an active partner and contributor to European and international cooperation in public security, as well as its capacity to provide training, expertise, and infrastructure for large-scale multinational exercises. The Romanian Gendarmerie is receiving support from the European Commission, through the European Union Training Initiative, for the organization of this international exercise.

Carpathian Blue Shield 2026 (CBS 26), an international training and interoperability exercise focused on public security, is taking place from September 27 to October 2, 2026. It is being held at the Romanian Gendarmerie's Training Center in Ochiuri (Dambovita County), as well as in other locations designated within the training scenarios. AGERPRES(RO - writing by: Daniel Alexandru Florea; EN - writing by: Bogdan Gabaroi)

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