Русско-англо-русский юридический словарь

Self-determination has two aspects, internal and external. Internal self-determination is the right of the people of a state to govern themselves without outside interference. External self-determination is the right of peoples to determine their own political status and to be free of alien domination, including formation of their own independent state. However, independence is not the only possible outcome of an exercise of self-determination. (princeton.edu)

The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS; Russian: Содружество Независимых Государств, СНГ, tr. Sodruzhestvo Nezavisimykh Gosudarstv, SNG; also called the Russian Commonwealth) is a regional organisation whose participating countries are former Soviet Republics, formed during the breakup of the Soviet Union.

The CIS is a loose association of states. Although the CIS has few supranational powers, it is aimed at being more than a purely symbolic organisation, nominally possessing coordinating powers in the realm of trade, finance, lawmaking, and security. (Wikipedia)

The whole European project is based on treaties between independent states. At the heart of European monetary union is a rules-based institution, the ECB, as its president stresses time and again. The rules were set by mutual consent, and by applying for Emu membership Greece explicitly agreed to these rules. (The Financial Times)

National coat of arms is a symbol which denotes an independent state in the form of a heraldic achievement. While a national flag usually is being used by common people and is flown outside and on ships, the national coat of arms is normally seen as the symbol of the government or in monarchies even rather for the head of state personally and used in print and on porcelain and as wall decorations in parliamentary buildings. (Wikipedia)