MINSK,September 12. /TASS/. The UN potential, which the West learned to manipulate, is insufficient to counter global problems, Belarusian Foreign Minister Maxim Ryzhenkov said, speaking at the ‘Belt and Road’ summit in Hong Kong, according to the Belarusian Foreign Ministry.

"There are storms everywhere these days. The so-called collective West has obviously failed the role of the leader it aspired under the burden of responsibility. And this is true not only for individual countries, but also for Western-oriented institutions," Ryzhenkov noted. "The UN potential, which the West learned to manipulate, is also insufficient to counter global problems."

According to the top diplomat, the time has come "to give power back to the majority, including at the global level, to establish a UN-oriented global infrastructure, based on the potential of new instruments."

"The ‘Belt and Road’ initiative is a unique instrument. It offers an opportunity of accelerated development for the global majority. At the same time, it does not contain a single confrontational element against anyone, including the EU and the United States. On the contrary, it extends a friendly hand to the West and offers an honest, equal cooperation," Ryzhenkov underscored, adding that the uniqueness of this instrument lies not only in its peaceful character, but also in its proven efficiency.

"Because we are talking about a way to bring people closer, exchange ideas and speed up technological progress that has been in use for millennia," the minister noted. "We are talking about the revival of mutually enriching exchanges along the trans-continental route, known as the Silk Road. Not mere trade, but a mutually beneficial cooperation of cultures, ideas and technologies."

According to Ryzhkov, the ‘Belt and Road’ initiative is one of the key elements of the joint building of a global civilization.

He noted that, while still being a developing country, China has bravely taken on fulfilling a promise of a millennium, given to the entire world, allocating huge political and intellectual resources for that purpose. In addition, China acts as an investor for the infrastructure of developing countries, which Western-dominated international financial institutions were unable or unwilling to do at such scale and with such efficiency. According to the diplomat, Belarus joined the initiative immediately and without any doubts.

"We were the first European country to do that," he said.