At the 56th EBU General Assembly in Dubrovnik (Croatia), Armenia and Georgia have been admitted Active Members of the European Broadcasting Union. The new status of both countries opens the doors to the Eurovision Song Contest.

Georgia and Armenia become Active Members
'Public Television & Radio Armenia' and 'Georgian Television & Radio Broadcasting' from now on belong to the Active Members of the European Broadcasting Union and meet with the basic requirement for entering the Eurovision Song Contest. The chance of seeing Armenia and Georgia in next year's Eurovision Song Contest in Athens is real as both countries have earlier announced their interest in the contest.

Georgia plans national selection
Georgian record company Step Records earlier announced that, in case Georgia will be allowed to take part in the Eurovision Song Contest, the first phase of the national selection can already take place this summer. The first Georgian Eurovision Song Contest participant should be chosen by a jury, of which the names will stay confidential, and should be presented somewhere in December or January.

Armenia Eurovision Song Contest minded
The Public TV Company of Armenia has broadcast the Eurovision Song Contest semifinal and final in 2004 and 2005. Moreover they acquired the rights to broadcast the Eurovision Song Contest in 2006 and 2007. “We are planning to become an Active Member of the European Broadcasting Union and further to join the Eurovision Song Contest,” the Armenian broadcaster informed esctoday.com in January.

According to Eurovision Song Contest supervisor Svante Stockselius' words to esctoday.com in October last year, no more than 40 countries would be allowed to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest. Under the current circumstances, with Austria withdrawing from next year's contest in Athens, two spots would be available for new countries.