Azernews.Az

BAKU – Armenia will take part in next year’s Eurovision song contest to be held in arch-foe Azerbaijan and its public television will soon announce the singer who will represent the country, an Armenian newspaper reported.

The two countries have been locked in conflict for two decades.

The Aykakan Jamanak newspaper said the question being discussed this year is whether a singer from Armenia or from abroad will present the Armenian entry at Eurovision.

It said the best option is the newly created foreign System of a Down band. Talks are reportedly underway with the band on the terms of its participation in Eurovision 2012.

Aykakan Jamanak said, however, that if a decision is passed to send a native Armenian performer to Baku, it will "undoubtedly" be Razmik Amyan.

Meanwhile, the Azerbaijani government said it was ready to ensure suitable conditions for all performers, including those from Armenia, at the Eurovision contest, which will be held next May.

"Armenian representatives have equal rights with other countries’ participants, there’s no problem here," Azerbaijan’s ministry of culture and tourism told Interfax Azerbaijan news agency.

The Azerbaijani duo of Eldar Gasimov and Nigar Jamal, known as Ell and Nikki, won this year’s Eurovision song contest held in Dusseldorf in mid-May, with their "Running Scared" song, for the first time in the over five decade-long history of the annual pop extravaganza. Their victory makes Azerbaijan the Eurovision host next year. Eurovision 2012 semifinals will be held on May 22 and 24, and the final on May 26.

This story is published by AzerNEWS Weekly under a project funded by the Foundation for State Assistance to the Development of the Media under the President of the Azerbaijan Republic.