ABSTRACT
Independence often brings with it a sense of almost unlimited opportunities. When the old imperial constraints have been removed, the new state starts a crash programme to integrate itself with the international institutions expecting them to recognize its sovereignty and confer on it protection and assistance. Soon it turns out, however, that sovereignty is almost a quasi-concept; while its legal and political meanings are quite specific, its practical implementation depends on the nature and capacity of the states involved and the situations in which they have to arrange their mutual relations. Therefore, the capabilities of states to meet the obligations of sovereignty and the commitments of other states to assure them always fall short of the ideal model.
