AZERBAIJAN – While EBU remains completely and suspiciously silent regarding the issue of Ictimai’s broadcast during the Armenian entry, a member of the Azeri delegation made a statement that will be surely the talk-of-the-day in Baku (at least).
Since Armenia was awarded the right to host the 2022 Junior Eurovision Song Contest, there has been much speculation about whether Azerbaijan would return to the competition, given the two countries’ tense relationship, which has previously crossed into the world of Eurovision.
Armenia was scheduled to compete in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2020, but due to the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh), martial law was imposed, forcing the country to withdraw. Maléna Fox, 13, was chosen internally to represent Armenia in Warsaw with the song “Why.”
Maléna would later win the contest in 2021. Due to the same issues, Armenia would later withdraw from competing in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2021.
Armenian television withdrew from the Eurovision Song Contest in 2012, when Azerbaijan was set to host it. AMPTV stated that it was not confident that the Azerbaijani authorities would keep their promise to ensure the safety of the Armenian delegation at the Baku event.
According to the Azerbaijani Eurovision website 12xal, Eldar Rasulov, a member of the country’s delegation, has expressed his thoughts on whether the country should continue to compete in the contest. He stated on television yesterday:
Eldar Rasulov
“No matter where the competition takes place, we must participate and work for a better result.”
an oikotimes original text
