TIRANA, Nov. 7 (Xinhua) -- Albania should follow attentively the new stage of China's development after the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), said Albanian Ambassador to China Selim Belortaja.

In an interview with Albanian Daily News released on Monday, he said the landmark CPC meeting has demonstrated the potential of China as a state, an economy, a model of the social system and even as a military force.

"Since the very first day of the opening of the congress, Mr. Xi reflected an unprecedented pride and self-security, which had not been seen for many decades," Belortaja said of Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Noting that the meeting set great, ambitious and long-term objectives for China's future development, the ambassador said, "We should take such events very seriously."

In particular, he suggested that Albania give full play to its role in the China-proposed initiative on the construction of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road (Belt and Road Initiative) and the "16+1" cooperation mechanism between China and Central and Eastern European countries, and introduce concrete projects that are suitable for Albania-China cooperation.

Belortaja became Albania's ambassador to China earlier this year. He used to serve as minister of industry and trade and deputy foreign minister among others.