site.btaBulgarian Antarctic Institute Signs Cooperation Agreements with UAE and Greece

The Bulgarian Antarctic Institute (BAI) has signed cooperation agreements in the field of polar research with the National Center of Meteorology of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Technical University of Crete, the BAI said on Saturday.

The agreements were signed during the International Conference for the Reporting of Results from the 33rd Antarctic Expedition, held in the Bulgarian coastal town of Aheloy.

The recently concluded expedition, which ended a month ago, marked the first time scientists from the UAE and Greece participated in a Bulgarian Antarctic mission.

With the signing of these agreements, BAI highlights the beginning of deeper collaboration with scientists from the UAE and neighboring Greece.

Professor Christo Pimpirev, who heads the Bulgarian Antarctic Institute, described the 33rd Antarctic expedition as one of the most successful to date. He highlighted the inauguration of a new, state-of-the-art laboratory at the Bulgarian St. Kliment Ohridski Antarctic base as a major achievement—one that will serve scientists well into the next century.

Alongside Bulgarian researchers, scientists from countries participating for the first time—Montenegro, the UAE, and Greece—also took part in the expedition. Longtime partners such as Colombia and Portugal were also involved. Notably, this expedition featured the first Bulgarian project dedicated to the study of solar activity. In total, 26 research projects were conducted, said Prof. Pimpirev.