Due to a lack of time to prepare for a first participation in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest, this year in Hasselt, Monaco will not be present. However, Monegasque Head of Delegation Phil Bosco informed us that Monaco will for sure be present at the 2006 Junior Eurovision Song Contest.

As esctoday.com already reported in November last year, Phil Bosco had made a request towards the Monegasque government to let Monaco participate at this year's Junior Eurovision Song Contest in Hasselt. The project was welcomed with enthusiasm by the Minister of State. The Monegasque Head of Delegation also submitted the project, based on castings to be held in all schools in Monaco, to the Principal of National Education.

That it wouldn't be easy to organise this kind of selections in a mini state such as Monaco was already known. A lack of time to decently prepare the project now prevents Monaco from its first Junior Eurovision Song Contest participation. Nevertheless the Monegasque broadcaster keeps being interested in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest.

“For sure we will join the Junior Eurovision Song Contest next year. But for now, we will concentrate on Athens 2006,” Phil Bosco stated in a reaction to esctoday.com.