Macedonian President Branko Crvenkovski and Albanian parliament Speaker Jozefina Topalli sent messages of condolences respectively on Tuesday to Chinese leaders over the deadly earthquake in China's Sichuan Province.

In the message sent to Chinese President Hu Jintao, Crvenkovski said "shocked and saddened at the news that China's Sichuan Province was hit by a massive earthquake, I, on behalf of the Macedonian people, would like to convey our sincerely sympathies to you and the people in the quake-hit areas."

In the message, the president also said "I believe here the spirit of humanity, solidarity and mutual help can help ease the pain caused by the grave catastrophe."

On the same day, Albanian parliament Speaker Topalli also sent a message of condolences to her Chinese couterpart Wu Bangguo, expressing her sympathies to the quake victims.

"I, with a saddened heart, received the news that a catastrophic earthquake has hit China's Sichuan Province and has led to huge fatalities and material damage," Topalli said in the message to Wu, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China.

"Please allow me, on behalf of Albanian parliament and myself, to extend my deepest condolences to the families of the people killed or injured in the earthquake," Topalli said.

The earthquake, measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale, struck southwest China's Sichuan Province on Monday, leaving at least 12,000 people dead.

(Xinhua News Agency May 14, 2008)