China hands over medical supplies to Albania to help fight COVID-19

A shipment of medical supplies donated by the Chinese government arrived at Albania's Tirana International Airport in Tirana, the country’s capital, on April 25, to help in the fight against COVID-19.

The medical supplies included testing reagents, protective clothing, medical masks, goggles and surgical gloves.

Chinese Ambassador to Albania Zhou Ding, Albanian Deputy Minister of Health and Social Protection Mira Rakacolli and Albanian Deputy Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Etjen Xhafaj attended the handover ceremony at the airport.

Chinese Ambassador to Albania Zhou Ding (L) exchanges handover certificates with Albanian Deputy Minister of Health and Social Protection Mira Rakacolli (M) at Tirana International Airport, Albania, on April 25. [Photo/al.chineseembassy.org]

Chinese Ambassador to Albania Zhou Ding (2nd left) is interviewed at the handover ceremony of Chinese medical supplies to Albania on April 25. [Photo/al.chineseembassy.org]

Zhou said that a friend in need is a friend indeed. The friendship between China and Albania has a long history. China fully appreciates the threats Albania faces in its fight against the pandemic, firmly stands with the Albanian people and will help the country combat the virus by providing medical supplies and sharing anti-pandemic experience.

China overcame difficulties posed by the pandemic, surging international demands for medical supplies and limited transportation to ship the medical supplies to Albania, which was not easy and fully demonstrates the traditional friendship between China and Albania through thick and thin and the nature of humanitarianism, said Zhou.

Zhou also paid tribute to the Albanian medical workers on the front line and expressed willingness to enhance coordination and cooperation with Albania to win the battle against the virus.

Workers use trailers to transport Chinese medical supplies. [Photo/al.chineseembassy.org]

Rakacolli and Xhafaj praised China’s achievement in pandemic containment and said that Chinese assistance arrived just in time. The medical supplies are valuable and urgently needed materials to all countries and will effectively improve Albanian’s anti-pandemic capability. The Albanian government and people sincerely appreciate China’s help.

Just as the World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, only with solidarity and joint response can international community prevail over the pandemic. Albania hope to continue to enhance exchanges and cooperation with China in various fields such as anti-pandemic work and public health.

Chinese medical supplies arrive in Albania on April 25 to help fight COVID-19. [Photo/al.chineseembassy.org]