Karabakh is not showing great interest in “being friends” with unrecognized states, its leadership is trying to present self-determination drawing parallel with the European precedents such as Kosovo and Cyprus, said Russian expert.

In his article dedicated to 20th anniversary of Nagorno-Karabakh’s independence, political scientist Sergey Markedonov, visiting fellow in the CSIS Russia and Eurasia Program, points out Karabakh as the only unrecognized republic which de facto receives funding from the U.S. Congress. Such attitude is hardly displayed towards South Ossetia, Abkhazia or Transnistria.  

The expert mentions that not a single post-Soviet unrecognized republic hosts as many diplomatic missions (including U.S., Australia, France, the Middle East, Germany) as Nagorno-Karabakh does.  

However, the expert considers that “occupation” of territories not included in Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast makes international recognition problematic.

Markedonov considers that one must not view Karabakh as Yerevan’s marionette. “Stepanakert has its own view on resolution of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict which differs from Yerevan’s approach,” he said.