Director of the CASPIA Center Orkhan Yolchuyev participated in the Ludovika Festival, where he delivered a speech dedicated to the growing role of middle powers amid increasing geopolitical fragmentation and renewed global competition.

During the discussion, Yolchuyev emphasized that countries such as Azerbaijan and Hungary are entering a new strategic era in which flexibility, diplomacy, and resilience matter more than traditional measures of power alone.

“Middle powers like Azerbaijan and Hungary cannot compete with great powers through military or economic size alone. But they still have an important role in today’s world,” he stated.

According to Yolchuyev, in an age marked by geopolitical rivalry, open conflicts, and weakening global consensus, middle powers must focus on maintaining strategic balance, strengthening dialogue, and building diversified partnerships.

“Middle powers should not try to dominate the world,” he said. “Their strength comes from flexibility, diplomacy, and the ability to build connections when larger powers are competing with each other.”

The CASPIA Center director stressed that countries positioned between major geopolitical blocs increasingly act as bridges connecting regions, economies, and political systems. He highlighted Azerbaijan’s role as a strategic connectivity hub linking Europe and Asia through energy corridors, trade routes, and transport infrastructure.

He further argued that cooperation among middle powers is becoming increasingly important in the emerging international order.

“We have values and interests, but not necessarily power as small countries,” he remarked. “But the way we can achieve agency and influence is through working together.”

Yolchuyev underlined that middle powers, despite having different historical experiences and political realities, often share similar strategic behavior.

“Most middle powers value stability,” he explained. “Large conflicts and global polarization usually hurt them more than they hurt superpowers. That is why many middle powers support dialogue, multilateralism, and regional cooperation.”

Addressing the changing nature of international relations, Yolchuyev warned that middle powers can no longer rely solely on the assumption that economic interdependence will automatically prevent conflict.

“The world is becoming more uncertain,” he said. “Middle powers today must be more adaptive, more pragmatic, and more focused on strategic autonomy in order to navigate a world shaped by renewed great power competition.”

He added that countries such as Azerbaijan and Hungary must prioritize strategic resilience by protecting energy security, supply chains, defense capabilities, and economic independence.

At the same time, Yolchuyev pointed to new opportunities emerging from geopolitical competition, arguing that strategically located countries may increase their influence by serving as regional transit, energy, and diplomatic hubs.

“Azerbaijan, for example, has increased its importance as an energy and connectivity corridor between Europe and Asia,” he said. “Hungary also positions itself as a bridge between East and West inside Europe.”

In his remarks, Yolchuyev also explored the broader concept of middle powers, arguing that such states are defined not simply by military strength or GDP, but by their ability to transform strategic importance into political influence.

“What unites middle powers is not simply size or military strength, but their ability to turn strategic importance into political influence,” he explained.

He pointed to examples such as Azerbaijan’s geopolitical location and Taiwan’s technological importance in semiconductor production as different forms of strategic relevance in today’s interconnected world.

According to Yolchuyev, middle powers occupy a complex position in the international system. While they may benefit from strategic flexibility and increased importance during periods of rivalry, they also remain vulnerable to economic pressure, regional instability, and geopolitical coercion.

“Middle powers are neither automatic beneficiaries nor inevitable victims,” he concluded. “Their success depends on how well they manage diplomacy, diversify partnerships, strengthen internal resilience, and adapt to changing global realities.”

The discussion at the Ludovika Festival focused on the transformation of the international system, the future of strategic autonomy, and the evolving role of medium-sized states in a world increasingly shaped by competition among major powers.