“Our lands are separated, but we have a common sky. After all the sun will shine through the clouds and then we will know that one of the light breeze came from the far Tirana,” said Chinese Ambassador Zhou Ding
“We feel very encouraged in this battle of the Chinese people against the novel coronavirus having the support of Tirana citizens and of the Albanian people,” has said the Chinese Ambassador to Albania, Zhou Ding.
Ambassador Zhou made that comment during his remarks in a reception organized by the Chinese Embassy together with the City Hall of Tirana for the Chinese community and Albanian guests. The event was also meant to send a message to the public opinion on what is happening in China during these times.
“Tirana is a wonderful, open, enthusiastic and vital city. A few days ago it was its 100th anniversary and I wish to extend once more my heartfelt congratulations,” he said. According to him, there have been noticed discriminating actions towards the Chinese and even other Asian people in some cities which are so called metropolises something which is sad. “But I have seen in Tirana that the people are expressing their solidarity and wishes in different forms to China, support the Chinese government and people who are united in the fight against this epidemic. As always the friendship and affection of the Albanian friends have been felt by the Chinese who work and live in Albania,” said Mr. Zhou.
He said that the earthquake of 26 November last year has caused great pain to Albania. “The heart of the Chinese people beats always for Albania. After the earthquake, President Xi Jinping sent a message of solidarity in the first moment. My colleagues of the Embassy and I went to the communities to send aid and other emergency materials to the ordinary people,” he said, adding that Chinese students and Chinese residents in Albania have given their contributions. “The Chinese companies donated 2 million euro for the affected zones. Such touching histories are many to be mentioned.”
Further on, he said that after the outbreak of the epidemics novel coronavirus in China, both the Albanian state and people have expressed their support to China. “Today, the Mayor Veliaj has come to the community and to a Chinese restaurant extending support towards China and the Chinese community of Tirana through practical acts,” said the Ambassador.
Mr. Zhou informed the participants in the event on what is being done in China to fight the virus and protect the life and health of the Chinese people, an effort which is also a great contribution to the protection of the global health security. “I believe this is seen by the entire world. The Chinese people have made gigantic efforts and sacrifices in this fight.”
He spoke concretely about the hard struggle being waged to overcome this grave situation, the dedication of volunteers from the entire China who have gone to help to Wuhan and Hubei which are the forefront of the struggle. Also, he referred to the tremendous work done to build two special hospitals with thousands of beds which have been put in place within 10 days. “As President Xi Jinping said we are running with the time and are fighting against a serious disease,” said the Ambassador who was hopeful that the turning point of the epidemic will come soon.
Mr. Zhou quoted Mother Teresa, the pride of the Albanian nation, as saying that the opposite of love is not hate but it’s indifference. “At these moments, many Tirana people are paying their attention to the East praying from the bottom of their hearts for the Chinese people. This is the spirit protected by Mother Teresa, this is the spirit of Tirana. Our lands are separated, but we have a common sky. After all the sun will shine through the clouds and then we will know that one of the light breeze came from the far Tirana,” he said.
In his remarks the Mayor of Tirana, Erion Veliaj expressed the solidarity with the Chinese people and the Chinese community resident in Tirana.
“Tirana has been founded upon the principles of an open city rather than on prejudices,” said the Mayor in his address to the participants in the event among whom representatives of the Chinese community living in the Albanian capital since many years who are being seen with a sort of scepticism because of the outbreak of the coronavirus in China.
“It was very important to organize this meeting with each other as I believe that Tirana is founded on the principles of being an open city, of acceptance and knowledge and not a city of ignorance and prejudices. We have many Chinese-Albanian couples and I am so glad to see you here. Many of you are voters, taxpayers and residents here. You have married to each other, and there are Albanian-Chinese children- you are not our danger. Our danger is ignorance and if we fight ignorance so much zealously and hysterically as we provide fake news we would have been an unseen nation,” said Mr. Veliaj.
Further on he wanted to assure every Chinese who lives in Tirana that “as the capital is my city it’s yours likewise, as it is of my son, it is the city of your sons.”
The Mayor turned back in time when Tirana became capital 100 years ago praising the Mayor of 1920, Ismail Ndroqi who opened the doors of the city to a government in search of shelter because of the circumstances in the country, particularly in Durres supposed to be Albania’s capital. “It was started with 10,000 inhabitants at the time of Ismail Ndroqi and today we are 1 million. A city that is not open- minded cannot multiply so much. That’s why I considered as very important this meeting, a Chinese-Albanian lunch, to show that Tirana is an open city,” said Veliaj. According to him, only a victim is recorded outside China because of coronavirus. “If we fill our mind with knowledge we can understand that there’s no room for paranoia in our city and even prejudices have no place here,” he said.
Mr. Veliaj said that there’s place for solidarity and good understanding. He extended gratitude to the Chinese people for the aid given to Albania during the difficult days of the earthquake which hit the country on 26 November last year.
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