Azernews.Az

Eurovision-2012 song contest symbolic key handover ceremony held in Baku on Wednesday.

During the event at the Buta Palace the mayor of last year's Host City of Düsseldorf Dirk Elbers handed over the symbolic key to the Eurovision Song Contest to the mayor of this year's Host City Hajibala Abutalibov.

Thus, Baku officially hosts the contest.

Executive Producer of Eurovision Jon Ola Sand, Event Supervisor of the Contest Sietse Bakker and contest's other officials attended this ceremony.

Handing over of symbolic key of the Eurovision contest was broadcast live by the Public Television and Radio Broadcasting Company of Azerbaijan, the official website of the contest eurovision.tv as well as TV channels of some countries members of the European Broadcasting Union.

Representatives of the public broadcasting companies of Georgia, Finland, Germany, Serbia, Malta, Moldova, Estonia, Belarus as well as reporters of the Euronews TV channel have arrived in Azerbaijan to cover the ceremony.

Semifinal rounds of the contest will be held in Baku on May 22 and May 24, Final will be held on May 26.

Azerbaijani duo Eldar Gasimov and Nigar Jamal (Ell / Nikki) with their pop-ballad "Running Scared" won the Eurovision Song Contest 2011.

Azerbaijan does not take part in the draw. According to the contest terms, a winner country of the previous contest, as well as Great Britain, France, Germany, Spain and Italy are admitted to the final without going through the semi-final stages.

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.