part III (what next?)

There is now no end to the number of petitions streaming in every day. todays pronouncement goes:
"There is no alternative to the independence of Nagorno-Karabakh," said Bako Saakyan, president of the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. "The existing differences must be resolved through direct dialogue. Everyone should realize once and for all that independence has no alternative and cannot be a subject of speculation. Today we can proudly state that we have created a strong and capable army, a progressing country which complies with international standards and is one of the key factors ensuring stability in the region...Rest assured, this is only a matter of time," the NKR leader said.

incidently, today was the 17th anniversary of the NKR's self-declared independance. no one has recognized them yet, but clearly the dream is still alive, as the occasion was celebrated with much show in the republic's capital of Stepanakert.

in case you are unaware, this self proclaimed state is entirely surrounded by Azerbaijan, but its population of 138,000 (after a major exodus of azeris in the 1990s) is around 95% Armenian. However, the Karabakh Armenians speak a dialect of Armenian which is considerably different from that which is spoken in Armenia, making mutual comprehension at times difficult.

the Lonely planet has a book called Microstates. It is written in tongue and cheak and dedicates a page to all the unrecognised, self proclaimed states around the world. Some, like Cristiania, are well known. Others are not. i wonder if they all intend to petition the russian government for recognition? i think there were at least 80 or so in that book!