Chairman
of the Eurovision Song Contest’s Reference Group Frank-Dieter Freiling
emphasized that both sides had rejected an offer for Yulia Samoilova to perform
via satellite.
BERLIN,
March 27. /TASS/. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has confirmed its
determination to ensure Russia’s participation in the Eurovision Song Contest
scheduled to be held in Ukraine’s capital of Kiev in May, Frank-Dieter
Freiling, Chairman of the Eurovision Song Contest’s Reference Group, told
Germany’s Tagesspiegel daily.
When
commenting on the Ukrainian authorities’ decision to issue an entry ban against
Russian contestant Yulia Samoilova, he said that "if the decision to ban
her from entering Ukraine stands, then the EBU will continue its efforts to
provide Russia with an opportunity to participate." "However, both
sides have rejected our offer for Yulia Samoilova to perform via
satellite", he added.
On March 24, the European Broadcasting Union told TASS that it was considering various options for Samoilova’s participation. "We are continuing our dialogue with the Ukrainian authorities with the ambition to have all artists present to perform in host city, Kiev, which is, of course, our preferred option," EBU Senior Communications officer Dave Goodman said. "However, in case the travel ban on Yulia Samoilova is upheld, we have to investigate alternative options," he added.
On March
22, Ukraine's intelligence agency (SBU) issued a three-year entry ban
against Samoilova, citing her performance at a festival dubbed "A World of
Sports and Kindness" held in Crimea on June 27, 2015. Ukraine’s
authorities say that by performing in Crimea, Samoilova violated the Ukrainian
government’s regulation dated June 4, 2015, which stipulates that foreign citizens
should receive a special permission in order to enter Crimea.
The
European Broadcasting Union said it was "deeply disappointed" by this
decision and offered to broadcast Samoilova’s performance during the contest.
However, Russia’s Channel One rejected this proposal. Kiev did not support it
either saying it would be a violation of the Ukrainian law.
2017 Eurovision Song Contest
On March
12, it was announced that wheelchair-bound Yulia Samoilova had been chosen to
represent Russia at the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest.
The contest
semifinals will be held on May 9 and 11 while the Grand Final will take place
on May 13.
Source: ITAR-TASS 27-03-2017
