Prime Minister Edi Rama leads the Albanian delegation at the two-day Economic Summit of China, Central and Eastern Europe in Belgrade, known as the 16+1 Summit, which was attended by the heads of governments of 16 countries of Central and Eastern Europe, as well as the Prime Minister of China, Li Keqiang.

On the first day of the Summit, the third held between the leaders of this region and the Chinese Prime Minister, the implementation of initiatives and concrete projects that support economic progress of the region were discussed.

Regional leaders and the Chinese delegation led by Premier Li Keqiang discussed exploring economic opportunities offered by the region and each of the countries, and the extent of Chinese investment in the region. Road and port infrastructure, energy and telecommunications were identified as fields of common interests. The Summit focused on projects of overall interest for the regions, such as road and rail connection of countries.

Prime Minister Rama said that the Summit is of major importance for Albania and the region, and a concrete initiative to develop concrete projects of regional cooperation. The Albanian government is discussing with the Chinese party a range of bilateral projects in infrastructure, industrial areas and in the agricultural sector to finance the rehabilitation of irrigation and drainage system.

“We are now finalizing a one-year effort that has led us to a new formula for financing the innovative Road of Arber. The Chinese Prime Minister will propose this formula to other countries that cannot deepen the debt and get sovereign guarantees. On the other hand, we have a significant number of contacts in the region in order to talk and finalize, I hope, an approach proposed by us for the entire rail system in the region. We have also a number of other projects with China, in the relationship between us and China, for infrastructure, industrial areas and with much hope and persistence, for additional support to the revival of agriculture through a substantial funding to rehabilitate the whole irrigation and drainage system, which unfortunately is in extremely bad conditions” –   Prime Minister Rama said at the beginning of the first day of the Summit.

The Albanian delegation was composed also of Minister of Economic Development, Trade and Enterprise, Arben Ahmetaj and Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure, Edmond Haxhinasto.