Skopje, 7 November 2022 (MIA) – The Republic of North Macedonia is the most peaceful country in the Western Balkans, recording a 97-spot advancement since 2017 and four places higher than in 2021, being among the 36 safest countries in the world at the Global Peace Index (GPI), says Minister of Interior Oliver Spasovski. Assessing several aspects of peace, including societal safety and security, the extent of ongoing domestic and international conflict and the degree of militarisation. the GPI produced by the Institute for Economics and Peace is a useful tool to analyse the achievement of the country’s commitments. “Since 2017, the Ministry of Interior has reaffirmed three important priorities: professionalism, non-partisan institution and fight against crime. These are the essential aspects in bringing back the feeling of security and safety among citizens, but also their trust in the institution,” Minister Spasovski wrote in a Facebook post. According to him, the continued GPI progress reflects the priorities set by the ministry’s leadership but is also a merit of the employees. “Today, the police are in the service of citizens. The MoI is one of the most transparent institutions, enjoying highest trust based on relevant research. As a NATO member and a country that has launched EU accession negotiations, a promoter of peace and stability in the region, but also guardian of the citizens’ prosperity and security, North Macedonia is obliged to continue to enhance its police service because safety is the foundation for the prosperity of any democratic country,” says Spasovski. Global Peace Index 2022 results show that the average level of global peacefulness deteriorated by 0.03%. Although slight, this is the eleventh deterioration in peacefulness in the last fourteen years, with 90 countries improving, 71 deteriorating and two remaining stable in peacefulness, highlighting that countries tend to deteriorate much faster than they improve. Iceland tops the list, followed by New Zealand, Ireland, Denmark and Austria. The bottom is occupied by Syria, Yemen and Afghanistan.