The Balkans safer than Western Europe

"The Balkans are safer than generally believed," writes the liberal daily with reference to a report by Antonio Maria Costa, executive director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). "The likelihood of getting murdered is higher in Sweden than in Macedonia, and you can feel safer in Romania than in Switzerland. The Balkan region, the scene of bloody fighting in recent years, is experiencing a decline in classic crimes. Murder, theft, rape and attacks are all less frequent there than in Western European states. ... But the Balkans is still no paradise on earth. The region is plagued above all by organised crime, even though it is in decline. ... The Balkans remains Europe's main entry point for drugs."

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