In 2003, on 16 April in Athens, Latvia’s President Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga, Prime Minister Einars Repše, Foreign Minister Sandra Kalniete, and chief negotiator Andris Ķesteris signed the Treaty of Accession to the European Union on Latvia’s behalf. This was not merely a ceremonial moment: after years of negotiations, Latvia legally secured its path to EU membership, which citizens later approved in the referendum of 20 September, and on 1 May 2004 Latvia became a full member state.

After the restoration of independence, integration into the European Union and NATO became the central axis of Latvia’s foreign policy. The Athens treaty symbolized Latvia’s return to Europe’s institutional space while also requiring extensive adaptation of legislation and public administration.