"A quarter of a century is an important milestone and the Slovenian police have come a long way, from what was called militia [in Yugoslavia] to today's modern European police force, which is the basic element of the country's security system," Interior Minister Vesna Györkös Žnidar pointed out.

Police Commissioner Marjan Fank noted that the Slovenian police had not been formed 25 years ago; its history goes 166 years back to the 19th century when the first para-military police forces were formed in the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Only deep motivation and readiness to sacrifice enabled the police to tackle all the challenges it has faced, he said, adding that he was happy to see the state noticing this and changing its attitude to police work.

The minister said that the state was trying to provide enough funds to enable smooth operations of the police, suitable equipment and resolving of staffing issues.

She called on the 8,151 Slovenian police officers, who received almost half a million 113 calls in the past year, to preserve their unity and comradeship.

President Borut Pahor and Europol boss Rob Wainwright also attended today's ceremony, with Wainwright emphasizing the good reputation of the Slovenian police abroad and its contribution to Europol.