site.btaConference Dedicated to Cooperation between Argentina and Bulgaria in Antarctica Held in Sofia

A conference dedicated to the cooperation between Argentina and Bulgaria in Antarctica was held at the St Kliment Ohridski University of Sofia on Wednesday. Rear Admiral Marcello Tarapov, host of the conference and President of Argentina's Antarctic Academy, said: "I believe that the future that awaits us is brilliant and our relationship will only get better."

The conference, titled Argentina and Bulgaria in Antarctica: Friendship and Synergy, A Step Beyond Cooperation, was was organized by the Embassy of Argentina in Bulgaria.

Rear Admiral Tarapov also said that the Mayor of Varna (on the Black Sea) is expected to travel to Buenos Aires for a ceremony on the twinning of Mar del Plata and Varna, which Tarapov hopes will give an additional impetus to the two countries becoming closer in the future.

Attending the event were Ambassador of Argentina to Bulgaria Alejandro Zothner Meyer, Prof. Reneta Bozhankova, Deputy Rector of Sofia University, Argentine Embassy representatives, university lecturers, and students.

The Ambassador of Argentina said that he was honoured to be at Sofia University, which is a temple of knowledge. He expressed certainty that the bilateral cooperation will continue to be fruitful.

The Director of the Bulgarian Antarctic Institute, Prof. Christo Pimpirev, made a video address to the guests, because he is paying a visit to Abu Dhabi. "Our contacts continued for a long time during these 30 years, deepening ever more. The Bulgarian new houses in Antarctica have been built entirely thanks to the help of our Argentine friends," Prof. Pimpirev said. He noted that the bilateral ties for researching Antarctica date back to 1994. In his words, the Bulgarian naval research ship (RSV 421) managed to reach the waters of Antarctica precisely thanks to the Argentine Navy: their logistics, fueling assistance, and others. "We are grateful for the cooperation with the Argentine scientists, logistics experts, Navy and Air Force," he noted.

In his presentation, Rear Admiral Tarapov made a short historical overview of how Argentina reached Antarctica and what its first steps on the continent were. He also presented the development of the bilateral ties for researching Antarctica.

In his words, Argentina's presence in Antarctica has been constant for over 120 years. The country manages 13 Antarctic bases, seven of which are permanent.

Prof. Nesho Chipev, Board member of the Bulgarian Antarctic Institute, presented the history of Bulgaria's presence in Antarctica and told the story of the start of the Bulgarian scientific research there as well as the first moments of cooperation with Argentina. Bulgaria has been active on Antarctica for nearly 60 years. The Bulgarian Antarctic base dates back to the late 1980s and now has a new laboratory, a press club of the Bulgarian News Agency, a post office, and an Eastern Orthodox chapel.

Former RSV 421 commanding officer Nikolay Danailov presented the cooperation between the two countries' navies as well as some of the most interesting moments in the ship's work.

At the end of the event, a photo exhibition was unveiled on the friendship in Argentina and Bulgaria in Antarctica.