Members of 32nd Bulgarian Antarctic Expedition Visit Argentine Antarctic Base Carlini

Konstantin Karagyozov, BTA special correspondent Emil Granicharov

BTA Photo

Sofia,

02.02.2024 17:18

(BTA)

Prof Christo Pimpirev, leader of the 32nd Bulgarian Antarctic Expedition, Flotilla Admiral Boyan Mednikarov, head of the Nikola Vaptsarov Naval Academy, Bulgaria's Ambassador to Argentina, Stoyan Mihaylov, who is accredited to Chile, BTA Director General Kiril Valchev and a large group of Bulgarian and Spanish scientists and logisticians visited the Argentine Antarctic research station Carlini.

Nikolay Danailov, commanding officer of the Bulgarian naval research vessel Sv. Sv. Kiril i Metodii (RSV 421) said that the group boarded RSV 421 at the Chilean base Profesor Julio Escudero. The Bulgarian scientists and logisticians will be transferred to the Bulgarian base on Livingston Island, while their Spanish counterparts will be dropped at the Spanish bases on the islands of Livingston and Deception, he added.

Danailov reported to Mednikarov that all tasks related to transporting and delivering materials to the coast in front of the Bulgarian base have been successfully completed and no incidents occurred.

Currently, there are nearly 40 scientists working on 11 projects at the Carlini Base. There are also military personnel stationed at the base to assist the researchers with organizational issues, including divers who take samples for different projects.

Prof Pimpirev presented a Spanish copy of his book titled Antarctic Diaries to his Argentinian colleagues. BTA Director General Kiril Valchev presented the hosts a copy of LIK magazine’s special edition dedicated to the first voyage of the Bulgarian ship to Antarctica.

Danailov highlighted the good understanding between the Bulgarian and Argentine military and presented the Argentinians a coin, jokingly warning that if they lose it before the Bulgarians’ next visit, should be ready to pay a friendly fine.

RSV 421's commanding officer reported that Dogac Isiler, the chief logistician of the Turkish Antarctic programme, with whom the Bulgarians have been working together for nearly a year and a half, had boarded the ship. The Bulgarian crew transferred Turkish cargo to Chilean vessel Betanzos, which is used by the Turkish programme. This is the second time the Bulgarians assist their Turkish counterparts.

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During the 32nd Bulgarian expedition to Antarctica, which started on November 8, 2023, the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) is publishing interviews with Antarctic researchers. The Bulgaria-Antarctica BTA's Log again provides coverage of the voyage of the Sv. Sv. Kiril i Metodii to Antarctica and back and its stay there, as it did during the 31st expedition between December 27, 2022 and May 2, 2023. Back then, only BTA had a correspondent, Daily News Editor Konstantin Karagyozov, who covered the 127-day expedition with text, video and photos during the entire voyage (including across the Atlantic in both directions) and throughout the stay in Antarctica. In June 2023, BTA published in Bulgarian and in English an issue of its LIK magazine "To Antarctica and Back under the Bulgarian Flag" dedicated to the historic expedition.

Again, all of BTA's information on the Bulgarian scientific research in Antarctica and the support provided by the Bulgarian naval research vessel, as well as on the other activities at the Bulgarian Antarctic Base, will be available to all media outlets in Bulgarian and in English on BTA's website in the Bulgaria - Antarctica: BTA's Log section.

BTA has a National Press Club on board the ship and is planning to open a National Press Club at the Bulgarian Antarctic Base on Livingston Island.

/RY/