Albania urges China to recognise Kosovo

Albanian political leaders have called on China to recognise Kosovo’s independence as they continue to lobby on behalf of the state.

During a meeting with senior Chinese Communist Party officials in Tirana on Monday, Albania’s President Bamir Topi and Prime Minister Sali Berisha called on Beijing to not only recognise Kosovo’s independence state, but to use its influence on the UN Security Council to back recognition from other members.

A statement from the president’s office on Tuesday read: “President Topi stressed the need for the expansion of the geographic map of countries that have recognised Kosovo, where China can play a constructive and determinant role for the future.”

“Kosovo’s independence serves peace and stability in the region,” Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha told Liu Yunshian, the Minister of Public Affairs who headed the Chinese delegation.