Acting unilaterally had its risks, however: Serbia didn't react, but Kosovo is not yet recognised by the UN, Nato, the EU, five of its members and more than half of the states of the world, and its secession was only partly successful.
"According to the constitution, we enjoy the same individual rights, but as a group we are not yet recognised as a people.
The split was accepted by the Association of European Rarities Committees (AERC) in 2003, but some authorities, such as Clements, have not yet recognised the new species.
But Mr Turner said: "I am very disappointed that Nick Clegg has not yet recognised the unique status of the Isle of Wight.
It would get a big boost if the five EU countries that have not yet recognised it Spain, Greece, Romania, Slovakia and Cyprus changed their minds, as a recent European Parliament resolution strongly recommends.
Tony Blair's problem is still the unseen audience in London, in Paris and UN; how to avoid the speech being seen as anything other than a celebration of a war, whose legality is not yet recognised, is his real challenge.
Notwithstanding Kosovo, which is not yet recognised as a country by all the EU member states, Belgrade was the last to negotiate a Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with the EU.
Yesterday's second disaster in New York in two months highlights the fact that while the industry faces further turmoil, it has not yet recognised that it is part of a global village.
