On the occasion of the 211th anniversary of the May Revolution, on May 25th, H. E. Mr. Alfredo Nestor Atanasoff,

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Argentina to the Republic of Bulgaria, and his wife, Mrs. Lucrecia Maria Vanni, gave a reception in the beautiful garden of their residence. It was attended by a selected number of guests - diplomats, representatives of the Bulgarian authorities, prominent cultural figures, journalists, Argentines living in our country.

After the anthems of both countries, H. E. Mr. Alfredo Nestor Atanasoff delivered a welcome address to those present:

On May 25th, 1810, Argentina embarked on the path to freedom, elected its first leaders and chose a new form of government. The significance of the historical events of those times predetermined for us, the Argentines, this day to become a national holiday of the country from that moment until today and for the future days.

It is a great honour for me to mark this date today, in Sofia, as Ambassador of the Republic of Argentina to the Republic of Bulgaria and the Republic of Northern Macedonia, because the two fraternal countries and friends of Argentina have benefited our land with the work and life stories of their immigrants. Two countries with which Argentina shares common interests, which are the unshakable and unchanging basis for building bilateral relations.

I would like to make you mindful of the great honour that I feel today, May 25th, as this year marks the 90th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Argentina and Bulgaria. In a few months we will proudly recall the act of presenting the credentials of the first head of the Argentine diplomatic mission in Sofia, as well as the opening of the Honorary Consulate of Bulgaria in Buenos Aires and the inauguration of the first Bulgarian Interim Governor in my country. These events set the milestones in the history of relations between Bulgaria and Latin America, because Argentina was the first country in the region to establish diplomatic contacts with Bulgaria.

And since the bridges that stretch between countries, institutions, cultures are the work of the people, I cannot help but mention and send words of gratitude to all those thousands of Bulgarians who arrived in Argentina as immigrants, brought their ideals and endeavors, contributed to the building of my country and helped consciously or instinctively to build our bilateral communication. As Argentine ambassador, I would like to express, with pride and dignity, my appreciation to all Argentines, descendants or not of Bulgarians, who have arrived in beautiful Bulgaria, carrying Argentina in their hearts, because even if they ate less numerous, they also contribute to this day to strengthening the ties between the two countries.

Finally, I would like to testify the strong commitment of the Argentine Embassy to the permanent consolidation of our friendly relations with Bulgaria and Northern Macedonia, and to recall that the doors of the mission are wide open to all needs and initiatives of citizens, something that will help us to be even closer. In this context, I would like to congratulate the entrepreneurs from Argentina and Bulgaria who have decided to rely on close cooperation and have committed themselves to the initiative of establishing an Argentine-Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce.

Ladies and gentlemen, I invite you to raise a glass for Argentina on the occasion of its national holiday!

After the toast, the Ambassador gave the floor to Mr. Todor Chobanov, Executive Director of the Argentine-Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce, who introduced this new and promising institution.

Those present then indulged in lively conversations, longing for them after the long isolation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. To the sounds of Argentine music, they also tried the specialties of Argentine cuisine.

The photos are provided by the Embassy of the Republic of Argentina in the Republic of Bulgaria.