Chinese FM meets with Albanian president on ties

Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi on Thursday met with Albanian President Bamir Topi whilst both sides stressed the need to deepen traditional friendship and bilateral cooperation. Yang said in the meeting the purpose of his visit to Albania was to consolidate the traditional friendship and deepen bilateral cooperation between China and Albania in various fields. "Although international and domestic situations in the two countries has undergone many changes, and bilateral relations have experienced ups and downs, the friendship between the two peoples lasts," Yang said. He said China was willing to maintain high-level exchange of visits with Albania, expand pragmatic cooperation in economy and trade, and strengthen coordination in major international and regional issues of shared interests. Topi said Albania was happy with the important role that China had played on the world stage and grateful for the contributions China made to safeguarding world peace. The president reiterated that Albania would firmly pursue the one-China policy and that Taiwan should be an inalienable part of China.