On July 9, H. E. Mr. Alejandro Zothner Meyer, the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Republic of Argentina to Bulgaria,

and his wife hosted a reception at the residence to mark the national holiday of the country. The celebration was attended by over 300 guests, including officials, representatives of the local authorities, the diplomatic corps, academic and cultural circles, media, business community, the Argentine diaspora in Bulgaria, and friends of the embassy.

Two hundred years ago, on July 9, 1816, Argentina declared its independence from the Kingdom of Spain. In his welcoming speech, H. E. Mr. Alejandro Zothner Meyer emphasized the significance of this historic event:

Today we commemorate 208 years since the Declaration of Independence. This process in the quest for freedom had begun in 1810 and it was neither linear nor easy. Our country went through several difficult moments until the consolidation of a republican and federal system was achieved, and by the end of the 19th century Argentina was successfully integrated with the world.

 Argentina received with open arms millions of immigrants mostly from Europe. While the world and the region were going through periods of economic difficulties and wars, thousands of Bulgarians settled down and prospered in different areas of my country.

Argentina has a consolidated democracy and a plural society. Now it is time to consolidate our Economy. That is the reason why in recent elections Argentine people elected a president, Mr. Javier Milei, whose leitmotiv is to return economic freedom to the country, to drastically reduce state interventionism in the economy, to bring fiscal order - focusing on fiscal surpluses - and to allow people living in Argentina to unleash their potential to their fullest, without interferences from the government.

Freedom is the cornerstone from which we will refocus our foreign policy, integrating Argentina back into the world, trading with all countries while prioritizing relationships with liberal capitalist democracies.

Argentina, a developing country with 46 million inhabitants, is a member of Mercosur together with Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and soon Bolivia.

From this platform we are seeking the signing of the Mercosur-European Union Agreement, which will bring benefits for both regions. We will constitute the largest trade bloc with a combined population of over 780 million. This agreement will be a catalyst for investment in strategic sectors such as energy, sustainable mining, food production and knowledge-based services among others.

Argentina supports the multilateral order based on international law and rejects any aggression against a State, whether by another State or a terrorist group. That is why we condemn the Russian aggression in Ukraine. To ensure our actions are consistent and to enable Argentina’s contribution to the multilateral system in support of liberty, we have applied to become a global partner of NATO. In this regard, Argentina also strongly supports the campaigns against anti-Semitism and we appreciate the presence of Bulgaria at the summit to be held in Buenos Aires this month.

Argentina is not only known for playing good football but also for being an agro-industrial power. We have also developed nuclear and space technology, exporting small nuclear research reactors and plants to produce radioisotopes. We have more than 12 unicorns in the technological field.

Argentina is the eighth largest country in territory, the second largest economy in South America. Along the Andean mountain range, we have major mining projects to extract various minerals such as copper, gold and lithium.

Argentina's Vaca Muerta holds the world's second largest shale gas reserves and the fourth largest shale oil reserves. With the recent law approved, we will become an energy exporter and in the next future we will be able to ship liquefied natural gas.

We have a long-standing friendly relationship with Bulgaria. I would like to highlight the important bilateral Antarctic cooperation. On economic and commercial matters, Argentinean agricultural machinery companies are actively exporting and others are signing joint ventures to start producing machinery in Bulgaria. On the other hand, there are Bulgarian companies investing in Argentina.

In conclusion, the ambassador expressed his gratitude to the sponsors and the entire embassy team for organizing the Independence Day celebration. The event was beautifully planned, with a special focus on promoting Argentine products, national wines and meats, and, of course, Argentine tango.

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