TIRANA — State Councilor Yang Jing held talks with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama on June 7, with both sides pledging to advance bilateral cooperation.

Yang noted the relationship between the two countries had been making progress in recent years.

China respects the Albanian people’s choice of development path that suited Albanian conditions, and understands Albania’s efforts to join the European integration process, said Yang.

Together with Albania, China would like to implement a series of important consensuses reached by leaders of both sides, and make earnest efforts in building up political trust, added Yang.

Yang expressed China’s willingness to work with Albania to make the “Belt and Road” initiative match with Albania’s national development strategies and to boost both sides’ practical cooperation both bilaterally and within the China-Central and Eastern European Countries (CEEC) cooperation framework.

Rama said there was great potential in practical cooperation with China and Albania was willing to work with China to enhance the economy, trade, tourism, and cultural exchange and cooperation. Rama welcomed China to invest in Albania in such areas as infrastructure projects.

On June 7, Yang met with Albanian Deputy Prime Minister Niko Peleshi and attended the signing ceremony of an agreement on bilateral economic and technological cooperation.