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APA, Azerbaijan
March 7 2012
Withdrawal from Eurovision Song Contest 2012 - Armenian propaganda
machine accepts defeat - ANALYSIS
[ 07 Mar 2012 18:16 ]
The step taken by Armenia at the time when the humanitarian dialogue
is brought to the forefront in the peace negotiations shows that
Yerevan's claims on `necessity of public diplomacy' were insincere
Baku. Vugar Masimoglu - APA. The step taken by Armenia is not a
surprise for the persons reasonably assessing the processes, the
Public Television of this country has officially announced their
withdrawal from the Eurovision Song Contest 2012. The position of the
European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which first reacted to this
decision, shows that this is not a surprise for the organization. The
Contest Executive Supervisor Jon Ola Sand said: "We are truly
disappointed by the broadcaster's decision to withdraw from this
year's Eurovision Song Contest. Despite the efforts of the EBU and the
Host Broadcaster to ensure a smooth participation for the Armenian
delegation in this year's Contest, circumstances beyond our control
lead to this unfortunate decision." What are these circumstances? The
problems regarding security? Actually, Jon Ola Sand in his statement
indirectly confirmed that these claims are pretexts. The European
Broadcasting Union is directly responsible for the security of the
delegations participating in the contest, audience, it obtains
official security guarantee from the host country, basing on this
guarantee passes decision to start the organizational activities. It
is up to the EBU to obtain security guarantee, the EBU has obtained
this guarantee from the Azerbaijani government and the statement of
Jon Ola Sand means that the question of security, which Armenia has
been keeping in the focus of attention for a long time, is a pretext,
Armenians indeed have passed a decision not to participate in the
contest because of the circumstances beyond EBU's control. What are
these circumstances?
In order to answer this question it is necessary to analyze Armenia's
tactics regarding the participation in this contest. The first
question that arose after Azerbaijan's representatives won in the
contest was connected with Armenia's participation. While this was
unimportant for a European not able to assess the existing realities
of the region, it was urgent for the societies of Azerbaijan and
Armenia that are under the conditions of active conflict for 24 years.
Armenia assessed this urgency from the first day, used the tactics of
artificial agiotage around the participation in the contest. The aim
was to cast shadow on the achievements (not the material benefits) of
Azerbaijan as a host country. It is not accidental that for several
months the Armenian propaganda machine has been attempting to
attribute to the security problem its hesitation regarding
participation in Eurovision, it has been claiming that there is no
guarantee for security of the delegation, media representatives,
citizens. But these claims were reduced to zero by the Azerbaijani
government and the European Broadcasting Union, both sides said the
security of all delegations and everyone who will come to Baku to
watch the contest will be fully ensured. After it became known that a
record number of countries will participate in Eurovision 2012, the
security claims of the Armenian propaganda machine failed, though
Armenian Public Television postponed the announcement of the final
decision, in the end they were obliged to say that they would
participate in the contest.
Were the hesitations of Armenia really related to the security
problems? Many representatives of this country participated in the
international events held in Baku in recent years and no problem
occurred on their security. But why do Armenians exaggerate the
security problem? The logical result is the following - the only
significance of participation for Armenia in Eurovision-2012 is the
making anti-Azerbaijan propaganda. The participation of Armenia in the
contest has no meaning because they failed this propaganda now.
Armenians always made propagandas in all contests. Everybody remembers
that the Armenian spectators waved the flag of so-called `Nagorno
Karabakh Republic', included the elements in their show-programs which
irritated Azerbaijani and Turkish spectators, the keeping by
presenter, who announces the results of the country, the of photo
`Armenian monuments' in our occupied lands. But it was known that the
Armenians wouldn't make this propaganda in Baku, because neither
Azerbaijan nor the contest's organizer European Broadcasting Union
would have allowed it. That's why it's obvious that all pretexts for
Armenia, the purpose of which is making anti-Azerbaijan propaganda in
participation in the contest, have exhausted.
On the other side, Armenians can't digest the dividends that will be
given by this contest to Azerbaijan. Anyhow, Eurovision Song Contest,
which is in the top five in the list of contests having the most
audiences in the world, will play a great role in introduction of
Azerbaijan. According to various calculations, bout 500 mln people
watch semi-final and final stages of Eurovision, it means that one of
14 people in the world will obtain information through video tapes and
show-program about Azerbaijan, nature, rich culture and music of our
country. Eurovision-2012 will bring to naught the groundless
imaginations about our country in the West by Armenian propaganda
machine. Such contests are the irreplaceable tools for forming the
public opinion from the point of view of having the mainstream
audience and the West will know Azerbaijan once again through these
tools. Thus, the successful usage of chance by Azerbaijan from hosting
the Eurovision-2012 also means the first serious defeat of Armenian
propaganda machine and Armenian Diaspora.
On the other side, Armenia's refusal of participation in
Eurovision-2012 at the time when the humanitarian dialogue is brought
to the forefront in the negotiations on the settlement of Nagorno
Karabakh conflict shows that the claims of Yerevan on `necessity of
public diplomacy' were insincere. Both countries (i.e. also
Armenia)undertook the commitment on taking mutual steps for formation
of mutual confidence atmosphere in the last negotiations held through
OSCE Minsk Group, the first step in this direction has been already
taken, Azerbaijani and Armenian intellectuals met in Moscow after 4
years and the agreement was achieved for holding such meetings in the
future. Eurovision-2012 platform can be considered as the most
relevant platform for continuing the dialogue, by refusing the
participation in the contest, Armenia showed its `sincerity' in the
negotiations on the settlement of the conflict.
From: Baghdasarian
March 7 2012
Withdrawal from Eurovision Song Contest 2012 - Armenian propaganda
machine accepts defeat - ANALYSIS
[ 07 Mar 2012 18:16 ]
The step taken by Armenia at the time when the humanitarian dialogue
is brought to the forefront in the peace negotiations shows that
Yerevan's claims on `necessity of public diplomacy' were insincere
Baku. Vugar Masimoglu - APA. The step taken by Armenia is not a
surprise for the persons reasonably assessing the processes, the
Public Television of this country has officially announced their
withdrawal from the Eurovision Song Contest 2012. The position of the
European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which first reacted to this
decision, shows that this is not a surprise for the organization. The
Contest Executive Supervisor Jon Ola Sand said: "We are truly
disappointed by the broadcaster's decision to withdraw from this
year's Eurovision Song Contest. Despite the efforts of the EBU and the
Host Broadcaster to ensure a smooth participation for the Armenian
delegation in this year's Contest, circumstances beyond our control
lead to this unfortunate decision." What are these circumstances? The
problems regarding security? Actually, Jon Ola Sand in his statement
indirectly confirmed that these claims are pretexts. The European
Broadcasting Union is directly responsible for the security of the
delegations participating in the contest, audience, it obtains
official security guarantee from the host country, basing on this
guarantee passes decision to start the organizational activities. It
is up to the EBU to obtain security guarantee, the EBU has obtained
this guarantee from the Azerbaijani government and the statement of
Jon Ola Sand means that the question of security, which Armenia has
been keeping in the focus of attention for a long time, is a pretext,
Armenians indeed have passed a decision not to participate in the
contest because of the circumstances beyond EBU's control. What are
these circumstances?
In order to answer this question it is necessary to analyze Armenia's
tactics regarding the participation in this contest. The first
question that arose after Azerbaijan's representatives won in the
contest was connected with Armenia's participation. While this was
unimportant for a European not able to assess the existing realities
of the region, it was urgent for the societies of Azerbaijan and
Armenia that are under the conditions of active conflict for 24 years.
Armenia assessed this urgency from the first day, used the tactics of
artificial agiotage around the participation in the contest. The aim
was to cast shadow on the achievements (not the material benefits) of
Azerbaijan as a host country. It is not accidental that for several
months the Armenian propaganda machine has been attempting to
attribute to the security problem its hesitation regarding
participation in Eurovision, it has been claiming that there is no
guarantee for security of the delegation, media representatives,
citizens. But these claims were reduced to zero by the Azerbaijani
government and the European Broadcasting Union, both sides said the
security of all delegations and everyone who will come to Baku to
watch the contest will be fully ensured. After it became known that a
record number of countries will participate in Eurovision 2012, the
security claims of the Armenian propaganda machine failed, though
Armenian Public Television postponed the announcement of the final
decision, in the end they were obliged to say that they would
participate in the contest.
Were the hesitations of Armenia really related to the security
problems? Many representatives of this country participated in the
international events held in Baku in recent years and no problem
occurred on their security. But why do Armenians exaggerate the
security problem? The logical result is the following - the only
significance of participation for Armenia in Eurovision-2012 is the
making anti-Azerbaijan propaganda. The participation of Armenia in the
contest has no meaning because they failed this propaganda now.
Armenians always made propagandas in all contests. Everybody remembers
that the Armenian spectators waved the flag of so-called `Nagorno
Karabakh Republic', included the elements in their show-programs which
irritated Azerbaijani and Turkish spectators, the keeping by
presenter, who announces the results of the country, the of photo
`Armenian monuments' in our occupied lands. But it was known that the
Armenians wouldn't make this propaganda in Baku, because neither
Azerbaijan nor the contest's organizer European Broadcasting Union
would have allowed it. That's why it's obvious that all pretexts for
Armenia, the purpose of which is making anti-Azerbaijan propaganda in
participation in the contest, have exhausted.
On the other side, Armenians can't digest the dividends that will be
given by this contest to Azerbaijan. Anyhow, Eurovision Song Contest,
which is in the top five in the list of contests having the most
audiences in the world, will play a great role in introduction of
Azerbaijan. According to various calculations, bout 500 mln people
watch semi-final and final stages of Eurovision, it means that one of
14 people in the world will obtain information through video tapes and
show-program about Azerbaijan, nature, rich culture and music of our
country. Eurovision-2012 will bring to naught the groundless
imaginations about our country in the West by Armenian propaganda
machine. Such contests are the irreplaceable tools for forming the
public opinion from the point of view of having the mainstream
audience and the West will know Azerbaijan once again through these
tools. Thus, the successful usage of chance by Azerbaijan from hosting
the Eurovision-2012 also means the first serious defeat of Armenian
propaganda machine and Armenian Diaspora.
On the other side, Armenia's refusal of participation in
Eurovision-2012 at the time when the humanitarian dialogue is brought
to the forefront in the negotiations on the settlement of Nagorno
Karabakh conflict shows that the claims of Yerevan on `necessity of
public diplomacy' were insincere. Both countries (i.e. also
Armenia)undertook the commitment on taking mutual steps for formation
of mutual confidence atmosphere in the last negotiations held through
OSCE Minsk Group, the first step in this direction has been already
taken, Azerbaijani and Armenian intellectuals met in Moscow after 4
years and the agreement was achieved for holding such meetings in the
future. Eurovision-2012 platform can be considered as the most
relevant platform for continuing the dialogue, by refusing the
participation in the contest, Armenia showed its `sincerity' in the
negotiations on the settlement of the conflict.
From: Baghdasarian