Voyage of RSV 421 Proved Bulgaria Is "a Sea-faring, Polar Nation" - Antarctic Research Professor

With the sailing of the first military research vessel Sv. Sv. Kiril i Metodii (RSV 421) to Antarctica, Bulgaria has proven itself to be a maritime and polar nation, said Prof. Hristo Pimpirev Tuesday in Varna. He is at the local Marine Station to meet the returning RSV 421 which docked at 10 a.m.

Pimpirev described the 31st polar expedition as excellent and added that the ship set sail on a significant Christian holiday - St. Stephen's Day. "The best thing is that the RSV 421 is entirely under the Bulgarian flag, it reached Antarctica through the most turbulent waters of the Atlantic Ocean and came back with well accomplished tasks", Pimpirev stressed. In his view, the crucial thing is that the first Bulgarian scientific research was carried out in the Southern Ocean, as until now polar explorers have only been able to collect data on land. Pimpirev added that Bulgarias joining the European research fleet will increasingly deepen its research in the Southern Ocean, including with international projects.

He also said that after the ship docks, scientists will take the samples collected during the expedition and start examining them. Pimpirev expressed his optimism that completely new discoveries for science are likely to be found, as Antarctica is one of the least explored territories on Earth.