site.btaPresident Confers Order of Madara Horseman, First Class on Ambassador of Argentina

President Rumen Radev Monday presented the Ambassador of the Republic of Argentina to Bulgaria, Alfredo Nestor Atanasof, with the Order of the Madara Horseman, First Class, the President's Press Secretariat reported. The state award is for merits in the development of bilateral relations between Bulgaria and Argentina.

Also attending the ceremony were Vice President Iliana Iotova and Tourism Minister Zaritsa Dinkova.

Radev said that Monday's ceremony is an expression of Bulgaria's gratefulness for the Ambassador's consistent efforts, dedication, and professionalism with which he has been working since day one on the post, for deepening the political dialogue, developing the bilateral ties in all areas of mutual interest, and for strengthening the friendship between the peoples of Bulgaria and Argentina. Despite the difficult period filled with global and regional crises, Alfredo Nestor Atanasof managed to energize the bilateral relations and deepen the political ties, Radev noted. The head of State expressed gratitude for the active year-round support for the Bulgarian Antarctic expeditions.

The Ambassador said that the Order is not only a sign of the friendship between Bulgaria and Argentina but also evidence of respect towards him. Argentina is the first Latin American country that established diplomatic relations with Bulgaria, he noted. "For me, it is a double recognition to be an Ambassador of my country in my grandfather's fatherland and to be part of the biggest Bulgarian diaspora in Latin America," he said.