Albania

Note: This column mainly includes countries along the Belt and Road and countries that have signed cooperation agreements with China on Belt and Road Initiative.

The friendly relations and cooperation between the People's Republic of China and the Republic of Albania enjoyed steady growth in 2013.

The two countries maintained high-level exchanges. In November, Premier Li Keqiang met with Prime Minister of Albania Edi Rama on the sidelines of the Meeting of Heads of Government of China and Central and Eastern European Countries (CEECs) in Bucharest, Romania.

Cooperation between political parties and in press, finance, sports and culture expanded steadily. In April, the Socialist Party of Albania, the Democratic Party of Albania and the Socialist Movement for Integration sent a delegation to Suzhou for the 4th China-Europe High-level Political Parties Forum. In May, an FM channel of China Radio International was launched in Albania. In September, the People's Bank of China and the Bank of Albania signed the Chinese yuan/Albania lek bilateral currency swap arrangement agreement. In October, Vice Minister of the General Administration of Sport Feng Jianzhong visited Albania. In November, the first Confucius Institute in Albania was inaugurated in the University of Tirana. In December, Vice Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee Zhou Li visited Albania. The China Disabled People's Performing Art Troupe staged performances in Albania.

Albania took an active part in the cooperation between China and CEECs. In July, Kreshnik Collaku, Albanian National Coordinator for Cooperation Between China and CEECs and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, as well as a delegation led by local leaders of Albania attended the Local Leaders' Meeting of China and CEECs in Chongqing. In October, Alqi Puli, the new Albanian National Coordinator for Cooperation Between China and CEECs and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, attended the National Coordinators' Meeting for Cooperation Between China and CEECs in Bucharest. The Socialist Party of Albania, the Democratic Party of Albania and the Socialist Movement for Integration sent a delegation to China for the Young Political Leaders Forum of China and CEECs. In December, Albanian scholars and experts attended the High-level Symposium of Think Tanks of China and CEECs.

Source: fmprc.gov.cn