UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) -- China's Belt and Road Initiative is a game changer for international cooperation, said Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto in an exclusive interview with Xinhua.

"The initiative is a new type of integration (and) a new form of framing international cooperation, which is not based on lecturing each other, but on mutual respect towards the regulations, laws and rules of international cooperation," said Szijjarto on the sideline of the ongoing annual UN General Assembly here in New York.

He said that Hungary is the "European pillar" of the initiative as the country has been taking part in it very actively.

Szijjarto added that Hungary is not only a participant of the Belt and Road Initiative, but also a strong supporter of China-Europe cooperation.

He said 2017 is extremely important for Hungary regarding the cooperation with China as his country is going to host the summit between China and Central and Eastern Europe.

According to Szijjarto, Hungary has been successful in building a strong cooperation with China in recent years.

"We are the No. 1 country in Central Europe when it comes to export to China and we are the No. 1 country in Central Europe when it comes to investments from China," he said, emphasizing that Hungary is committed to continuing the cooperation and "this endeavor of ours fits very well with the initiative."