On 26 January 1921, at the meeting of the Supreme Council of the Allied Powers with participation of the Prime Ministers of Belgium, France, the United Kingdom, and Italy, as well as the representative of Japan, it was decided to recognize Latvia's existence as an independent sovereign state under international law.
The international de jure recognition of the Republic of Latvia meant that Latvia became subject to international law, and it could establish diplomatic relations with other states, appoint envoys, accede to international conventions, enter into multilateral agreements, take part in and organize international conferences.
Achieving international recognition represented the completion of a very complicated process of building a Latvian state. In the period between the world wars, 26 January was a national holiday celebrated in individual Latvian families and wider society.
