site.btaRSV 421 Visits Rio Grande in Brazil before Sailing to Bulgaria

The Bulgarian naval research ship Sv. Sv. Kiril i Metodii (RSV 421) visited the port of Rio Grande in southern Brazil on February 25, the Bulgarian Naval Academy said. The visit was to establish cooperation in Antarctic exploration with the Brazilian Navy and to mark the 90th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Brazil and Bulgaria in 1934.

This was the first visit of a Bulgarian naval ship to Brazil. Head of the Bulgarian mission there Bojidara Sartchadjieva welcomed the ship with a ceremony, attended by representatives of the Brazilian Navy, port authorities and local cultural figures. The Rio Grande Military Brass Band performed the national anthems of both countries.

An official dinner was held on board the Bulgarian ship, organized by the Bulgarian Ambassador to Brazil to mark the 90th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. During the meeting, the good relations between the two countries were noted and opportunities for the development of contacts and cooperation in connection with the implementation of future RSV 421 expeditions to Antarctica were discussed.

Founded in 1737, Rio Grande, with a population of around 200,000, is the last port of call of RSV 421. The ship is expected to sail at 12 o'clock on February 26 across the Atlantic Ocean to Bulgaria on its way back from the Bulgarian Antarctic base on Livingston Island from the South Shetland Islands in Antarctica, where it delivered materials for the construction of a new laboratory and supported the research of the 32nd Bulgarian Antarctic Expedition and its partner expeditions from other countries.

After crossing the Atlantic and entering the Mediterranean Sea, a stopover is planned in Cartagena in Spain. The ship is expected to arrive in Varna in early April.

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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 as well as a National Press Club at the Bulgarian Antarctic Base on Livingston Island.