Bulgarian Antarctic Institute

The first group of 15 polar explorers from the 30th Bulgarian Antarctic Expedition is already aboard the Chilean warship Janequeo after a ten-day quarantine in the Chilean port of Punta Arenas, said the head of the Bulgarian Antarctic Institute Prof. Hristo Pimpirev.

Bulgarian Oscar-nominated actress Maria Bakalova christened the ship "St. Cyril and Methodius", wishing the ship to carry the glory of the Bulgarian Navy and bear the name of the illustrious brothers.

The ceremony took place on the day of liberation of Bulgaria's coastal city of Varna today.

Six Bulgarian Antarctic researchers were collected by the ship "Lautaro" from the Bulgarian base on Livingston Island in the South Shetlands, the leader of the expedition, Prof. Hristo Pimpirev, reported on Thursday, quoted by the Bulgarian Antarctic Institute in a press release.

The 29th National Antarctic Expedition finally reached The Island of Livingston, where the Bulgarian polar base "St Kliment Ohridski is located," the Bulgarian Antarctic Institute (BAI) reported.

The discoveries made by the Bulgarian scientists on the icy continent - unknown fish, new plant species and microorganisms - are of global importance, Prof. Hristo Pimpirev, director of the Bulgarian Antarctic Institute and head of the 27 Antarctic expedition, told Focus Radio.

After the two-month biological research as part of the National Polar Research Programme has concluded, research continues in the remaining two months of the Antarctic summer in the field of earth sciences, said Prof. Hristo Pimpirev, Director of the Bulgarian Antarctic Institute and leader of the 27th Antarctic expedition, reports Focus News Agency. 

The last group of the 27th national Antarctic expedition is departing at 7.05 pm from the Sofia Airport, Terminal 2, with a flight to Rome, the Bulgarian Antarctic Institute said, reports Focus News Agency. 

The Bulgarian base in Antarctica is an international scientific laboratory. There are also scientists from many different parts of the world, including Colombian scientists this year. Two Portuguese, Turks and a Cypriot scientist , said Hristo Pimpirev,  Prof. , Director of the Bulgarian Antarctic Institute and Head of Bulgarian Expeditions on the South Continent on Darik's "The Week".

For the first time, the 27th Antarctic Expedition will work on seven Bulgarian national projects, Director of the Bulgarian Antarctic Institute Prof. Hristo Pimpirev told Focus Radio.

Bulgaria and Georgia will cooperate on Antarctica. In Tbilisi, the two countries have negotiated a formal agreement for joint action between the Bulgarian Antarctic Institute and the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia. It is expected that joint scientific projects will be implemented in the next polar season of the Bulgarian base on Livingstone Island.