Chinese Government provides EUR 1.3 million grant for Demonstration Center for Agricultural Machinery Cooperation Project (Linked to Record ID#42414)

Project narrative

In 2017, China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) — through its Economic and Commercial Counselor's Office in Albania — issued a EUR 1,317,632 grant to the Government of Albania for the Demonstration Center for Agricultural Machinery Cooperation Project. The purpose of this project was to establish an agricultural demonstration center in the town of Cërrik focused on the use of agricultural machinery and technologies. According to official data that Albania’s Donor Technical Secretariat shared with AidData in February 2018, the project commenced on May 22, 2017, and reached completion on December 31, 2018. The following are meetings, milestones, announcements regarding the project: On September 29th, 2016, China’s Ambassador to Albania, Jiang Yu, and the Albanian Minister of Agriculture discussed the possibility of a Demonstration Center for Agricultural Machinery Cooperation Project. On April 13th, 2017 in an interview, Ambassador to Albania, Jiang Yu, announced plans to develop an Agricultural Machinery Cooperative Demonstration Center with Albania. On May 25th, 2017 Chinese Ambassador to Albania, Jiang Yu, and Albanian Minister of Agriculture, Panariti, conducted preliminary talks on the construction of a demonstration center for agricultural machinery co-operation. On December 1st, 2017 the Chinese Economic and Commercial Counselor to Albania, Chen Kailong, met the Albanian Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Harry Rai, to discuss the agricultural demonstration center. On December 22nd and 23rd, 2017, representatives from the Chinese Ministry of Commerce and the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Mechanization Sciences inspected the site of the project in Cërrik City, Albania in cooperation with the Albanian Ministry of Agriculture. On April 16th, 2018 Chinese Ambassador to Albania, Jiang Yu traveled to Cërrik City, Albania to inspect the progress of the project. On July 5th, 2018, The Albanian-Chinese Center for Innovation, Science and Agricultural Technology, a different center than the Agricultural Machinery Cooperative Demonstration Center was opened in the Agricultural University of Tirana. The center for innovation was founded to promote communications on agricultural policies between Albania and China. (Documented in Record ID#67597) On July 6th, 2018, in a meeting with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang announced China’s intention to build the center in Albania. On September 27th, 2018, the Chinese Ambassador to Albania, Jiang Yu, and Albanian Minister of Agriculture discussed increased agricultural cooperation including the development of the Agricultural Machinery Cooperative Demonstration Center Project.