Today, Azerbaijan is a country worthy of great respect on the international stage.

Operativ Media reports that President Ilham Aliyev said this during his speech at the 8th Congress of the New Azerbaijan Party (YAP).

The head of state emphasized that many well-known experts and analysts already classify Azerbaijan as a middle power. He noted that this is based on several parameters, adding: "We have fully ensured our economic independence, and today we are a highly valued member of the international community; our destiny is in our own hands."