ARMENIAN DELEGATION TO EUROVISION COMMENTS ON FINE

news.am
May 14, 2012 | 17:37

YEREVAN. – The fine for Armenia’s decision to withdraw from the
Eurovision 2012 is aimed to preserve the rules and not to punish,
head of the Armenian delegation to the Eurovision Gohar Gasparyan
told Armenian News-NEWS.am.

“As you know, Armenian Public Television wanted to participate in
the song contest despite the anti-Armenian environment in Azerbaijan.

However, we decided to withdraw after the Azerbaijani President
declared that all the Armenians in the world are number one enemy
for them.

Generally both the participation fee, as well as the fine, which is
half of the fee, is aimed to respect the rules and not to punish. In
addition, as the European Broadcasting Union has not made public the
sum, we do not think it is correct to make any comments on the issue,”
Gasparyan said adding Armenia is obliged to broadcast the contest,
otherwise the state will not have the right for the 2013 participation.

The agency has earlier informed that Armenia would have avoided the
fine if it would have done that by the deadlines set in the Rules
of the Eurovision Song Contest, Communication Coordinator for the
Eurovision Family of Events Jarmo Siim said in response to the
agency’s question.

He also added that there is no ground to hamper Armenia’s participation
next year, if it broadcasts the contest, pays the fine and preserves
the rules for the next year’s participation.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress