ISMAYIL OMAROV: "ARMENIA CAN PARTICIPATE IN EUROVISION DANCE CONTEST 2009 IN BAKU, IF WISHES"

APA
Feb 11 2009
Azerbaijan

Baku. Kamala Guliyeva – APA. Eurovision Dance Contest 2009 will be
held in Baku on September 26. It was announced at the press conference
held by Director General of Public Television and Radio Broadcasting
Company (ITV) Ismayil Omarov, executive producer of Eurovision Dance
Contest 2009 Farhad Hajiyev and head of Azerbaijani delegation in the
contest Adil Karimov, APA reports. Omarov said for the first time in
the whole East and Caucasus Eurovision Dance Contest would be held
in Azerbaijan. Ismayil Omarov said there were a number of conditions
to win the tender for hosting Eurovision Dance Contest 2009, for this
the country should be stable and ensure security of tourists.

"A magnificent event will be held on September 26. Once more the world
will witness Azerbaijan’s beauty, great musical culture and progress,"
he said.

Omarov said 24 countries participated in the contest last year. The
number of participating countries will be increased this year. ITV
Director General said Azerbaijan’s representatives in the contest
would be chosen carefully and added that the names of the country’s
representatives were not known. Omarov said the contest required
a lot of funds, that’s why ITV had already appealed to a number of
government agencies for organizing the contest.

ITV Director General declined to give information about expenditures
of Eurovision Dance Contest 2009.

"We do not now how many tourists will come to Azerbaijan. It will
not be right if we say a concrete number. We will provide concrete
information about it early in September", he said. Omarov noted that
comperes of the Eurovision Dance Contest 2009 would be world-renowned
stars. They will be identified in some months.

The number of countries, which will participate in the contest, is
not yet known. As regards participation of Armenia in the contest,
Omarov said that if the country wanted to attend the contest, it
would be represented.

"There will not be race discrimination and political motives basing on
regulations of European Broadcasting Union and terms of Eurovision. If
Armenia participates in the contest, there will be condition for
it. Armenian sportsmen have participated in several competitions in
Azerbaijan by now and there has not been any incident," he said.

As regards hotel and travel service of tourists, Omarov added that
infrastructure of the capital is at least for 10.000 tourists.

"If number of tourists is more than it, we will provide them with
accommodations. As regards traffic jam, there is traffic jam in every
country. Construction of roads will be commissioned till the opening
ceremony of the contest," he added.