site.btaPM Denkov Thanks Argentina’s President Fernandez for Cooperation in Antarctica

Bulgarian Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov thanked Argentina's President Alberto Fernandez for the annual support provided by the Argentine authorities to the Bulgarian Antarctic expeditions. Denkov and Fernandez conferred in Brussels within the second plenary session of the European Union, Latin America and the Caribbean Summit (EU–LAC Summit), the Council of Ministers said in a press release on Tuesday.

For his part, President Fernandez expressed readiness for bilateral cooperation in Antarctica to continue in the spirit of the renewed Antarctic Cooperation Agreement between the Bulgarian Antarctic Institute and Argentina’s National Directorate for Antarctica at its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship.

The two sides agreed on the need to strengthen their cooperation in economy, trade, science and people-to-people contacts.

PM Denkov stressed that Argentina is a key partner of Bulgaria in South America. Tens of thousands of people of Bulgarian origin live in this country and are very well integrated there, he emphasized.

President Fernandez drew attention to the potential of the economic and commercial contacts between Buenos Aires and Sofia in the fields of science, technology, innovation and agriculture. For his part, Denkov stressed the importance of the upcoming first session of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission for Bilateral Economic Cooperation between Bulgaria and Argentina, which will take place in September 2023 in the Argentine capital.

Addressing the EU-LAC Summit, the Bulgarian Prime Minister stressed the need to deepen cooperation with Latin American and Caribbean countries, especially in the context of the climate, political and health challenges the world is currently facing. He highlighted the growing importance of Latin American and Caribbean countries at a time of new threats to peace and stability, food and economic security.

"Bulgaria supports strengthening cooperation with partners from Latin America and the Caribbean in key areas such as trade and economy, education, research, culture and innovation," Denkov said at the forum. He focused on educational and scientific exchanges, which can be supported by the European programmes Erasmus+, Horizon Europe and Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions European programmes.