Saeima of the Republic of Latvia

A square in Riga will be named the Iceland Square to commemorate Iceland’s decision to recognise the restoration of Latvia’s de facto independence in 1991.

The new Iceland Square is located in Ķīpsala between the following streets: Āzenes iela, Ķīpsalas iela and Valdemāra iela.

The Green area will be named after Iceland because on 22 August 1991 this Nordic country was the first country to recognise the restoration of Latvia’s independence.

On 21 August Ásta R. Jóhannesdóttir, Speaker of the Icelandic parliament, will visit Latvia to honour the 20^th anniversary of restoration of Latvia’s independence. Speaker Jóhannesdóttir and speakers from other Nordic and Baltic parliaments will visit Latvia at the invitation of Solvita Āboltiņa, Speaker of the Saeima.

On 21 August this year, Latvia will celebrate the 20^th anniversary of de facto restoration of its independence. 21 August 1991 was a crucial moment in the history of our country because on that day the Supreme Council of the Republic of Latvia adopted the Constitutional Law on the Statehood of the Republic of Latvia, thus restoring the de facto independence of Latvia.

This law reinstated the Constitution of Latvia (Satversme) of 1922 with its values of Western democracy and the rule of law. With the adoption of the Constitutional Law, the laws of the USSR became null and void in Latvia. On the basis of the law of 21 August, other countries recognised the restoration of Latvia’s independence.

Saeima Press Service