This article in The New York Times (August 15, 2011) by two professors of Georgetown University about unrecognized states deserves some attention. It shows a fresh approach to the problems posed by them, especially under the stubborn insistence of the United States and other countries to stick to the one-sided narrative of "territorial integrity," which, if always followed in history, would have even prevented the Thirteen Colonies from seceding the British empire...
The example of Taiwan shows a way for these "phantom states." Although omitted, the example of Mountainous Karabagh also follows that path. "But transparent government, free elections and a peaceful foreign policy are as vital for phantom states as they are for real ones. If phantom governments behave well, they should be offered a path toward legitimacy by the world’s major powers," write the authors. Karabagh has not only free elections (more transparent than those in Armenia, unfortunately), but also a Constitution, as well as attempts to have a peaceful foreign policy, as much as Azerbaijani provocations do not become a hurdle to it.
