MOSCOW, December 12. /TASS/. Moscow is outperforming major cities in developing countries, and is a worthy competitor, equal to many European capitals, Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said in an interview with TASS on Tuesday.

According to Sobyanin, Moscow is safer than Paris. "Based on many indicators, we significantly surpass cities in developing countries. This year we eclipsed such a powerful and rapidly growing city as Beijing. In some places, we lag behind, while in other places we are rather competitive. For example, we yield to Paris in terms of the number of foreign tourists, but we fare better on security indicators," Sobyanin emphasized.

Competing with the capitals of developed countries is extremely challenging, but it is a must, the mayor emphasized.

Today, Moscow rivals leading European cities in terms of quality of urban life. For example, regarding the level of education, living environment and public transport, the Russian capital is on par with major European cities, Sobyanin noted.

Ranking among the top cities for introducing smart city technologies as well as for its quality of education, the Russian capital outshines the majority of European and US cities. "Moscow is a rather competitive city. It is crucial not to stop but to keep moving forward," the mayor stressed.

This July, Moscow took second place in a ranking drawn up by PricewaterhouseCoopers, an influential international consulting company.