Kazakhstan pursuing Eurovision Asia participation after EBU blocks Eurovision chances

It has been revealed that Kazakhstan is pursuing participation in the first Eurovision Asia Song Contest scheduled to take place later this year. EBU associate member Khabar Agency is currently in negotiations with Eurovision Asia organisers. The Ministry of Information and Communications in Kazakhstan has confirmed this to local media.

A growing fanbase

Being one of Kazakhstan’s largest television broadcasters, Khabar Agency joined the EBU as an associate member in January 2016. Nevertheless, the Eurovision Song Contest has been broadcast in Kazakhstan for several years now.

EBU blocks rumours of Kazakh Eurovision participation

Indeed, Kazakh broadcasters including Khabar Agency have shown interest in participating in the Eurovision Song Contest. However, following a comment by Channel 31 in December that they had intentions of participating in future Eurovision Song Contests, the EBU clarified that this would not be possible with the following statement to esctoday.com:

Channel 31 Kazakhstan has indeed expressed interest in becoming a Member of the EBU and hence participate in the Eurovision Song Contest.
However, since Channel 31 is outside the European Broadcasting Area and is also not a member of the Council of Europe, it is not eligible to become an active Member of the EBU.

Changing focus to Eurovision Asia

As a result, it now seems that Kazakhstan has turned its attention to Eurovision’s Asian counterpart in which Khabar Agency would presumably be eligible to compete in.

Therefore, eleven nations have now expressed interest in participating in the first Eurovision Asia Song Contest.

Founder of the contest

• Australia

Possible steering group members

• China
• Japan
• South Korea

Expressed interest in hosting

• Hong Kong
• Singapore

Expressed interest in participation

• Kazakhstan
• New Zealand
• Papua New Guinea
• Solomon Islands
• Vanuatu

Would you like to see Kazakhstan finally get their chance to take part in a Eurovision contest? Do you have any favourite Kazakh artists? Let us know in the comments below!