Happy Independence Day, Latvia!

On 4 May 1990, the Supreme Council of the Latvian SSR adopted the Declaration on the Restoration of the Independence of the Republic of Latvia

On 4 May 1990, the Supreme Council of the Latvian SSR adopted the Declaration on the Restoration of the Independence of the Republic of Latvia. The Declaration restored the Republic of Latvia and partially brought into force the country’s old constitution of 1922 and initiated a transition towards full independence which was finally achieved in 1991.

Some of the most important tenets of The Declaration were the guarantees of social, economic, cultural and political rights for citizens in accordance with international human rights.

Latvia lost its independence in 1940 when it was occupied by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union and was subsequently integrated into the USSR. During this period however the country was still recognised as independent by more than 50 states around the world. Latvia finally managed to achieve its independence amid the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War.