PODGORICA, March 4 (Xinhua) -- The first batch of Sinopharm vaccines donated by China arrived here Wednesday and was welcomed by Montenegrin Health Minister Jelena Borovinic Bojovic and Chinese Ambassador to Montenegro Liu Jin.

On behalf of Montenegrin Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokapic and his government, Bojovic thanked Chinese leaders and Chinese people at the handover ceremony, calling the donation "another proof of the friendship and solidarity between the two countries and two peoples."

Krivokapic on Wednesday tweeted on the arrival of the Chinese vaccines, saying that his country is "continuing with the procurement of vaccines and immunization of our population."

Montenegro is among the first countries in Europe to receive vaccine donation from China, which "embodies the good wishes of the Chinese people and the traditional friendship between the two countries," Ambassador Liu said in his speech.

"Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the two peoples have been sincerely supporting each other. We believe the Chinese vaccines will help Montenegro win the fight against the pandemic and recover its economy," he said.

Montenegro by Wednesday registered over 77,000 COVID-19 cases, more than 1,000 resulting deaths, while over 8,600 people are currently infected.