“Armat, Balkan culture”, experts after the massacres in Serbia: Measures Needed in the Region

However, data collected by Serbian experts on weapons and the independent Swiss Research Institute suggest Serbia ranks third in the world for the number of weapons for residents, after the US and Yemen.

It is estimated that there are 39 weapons for 100 Serbs, although precise data is difficult to gather, writes Euronews Albania, broadcasts Klankosova.tv.

Aaron Carp, a researcher for small arms, says the region has a strong culture of gunkeeping, so the weapons will remain.

The region has a strong culture of weapons maintenance, so the weapons will remain. A positive step would be to register weapons into the system, and there is a national debate Serbia has repeatedly postponed. The law has improved, but its implementation is not proper. In fact, it's far from what it should be like to be”, he said.

However, the data, cited by the Serbian president, suggests that the number of weapons registered in Serbia has steadily declined to the last 10 years, from 1.2 million in 2012, to about 800 thousand in 2023.

The really dangerous weapons are those semi-automatics, because they're modern weapons. The old guns are our grandparents' rifles. They're dangerous, but they can't be used for mass murder. If the law, the recording of weapons and security measures is carefully applied, then this is a step forward. The Balkans are a prominent part of the world, from there lessons can be learned. They need special solutions. Many of the weapons policies pursued by Serbia and neighbouring countries have been like European ones, but there may be a different” needed.

Estimates suggest that the number of illegal weapons that circulate since the Balkan wars or turmoil in the country may exceed the quota of 1 million and a half.