Sopho Khalvashi will be the first artist to represent Georgia at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2007. She has been selected by the marketing department of the Georgian natial broadcaster, GTVR. The news was formally announced today at a press conference. Her song will be chosen by the national public during a special show in February, where she will present five songs to choose from.

Tamtar Kintsurashvili, General Director of the Georgian broadcaster, has stated at a press conference today that Sopho Khalvashi will become the first act to represent Georgia at the 2007 Eurovision Song Contest. The marketing department at national broadcaster, GTVR voted on the 20 most popular Georgian singers in the country at the moment, with Sopho winning with 63% of the vote. Sopho will sing 5 songs in a televised national final in February 2007, with the first Georgian song being chosen through televoting and SMS voting by the Georgian audience.

2007 will be the first time the country's debut year.GTVR became an active member of the EBU in August 2005. The nation is taking the participation very seriously, Giorgi Gabashvili ( Georgia’s Minister of Culture, Monuments Protection and Sports) and representatives of the specially created “Eurovision-Georgia” organization, which is in charge of preparation activities for the event, also attended the press conference

As a new entrant, Sopho Khalvashi will have to fly the Georgian flag in the semi final on the 10th, with Georgia hoping to emulate the recent success of Albania, Moldova and Armenia on their debut entries, and end in the Top 10 in the final.

Sofico Khalvashi was born on May 31, 1986 in Batumi, Georgia. She is studying on the fourth course of musical school (piano and oboe). She is the winner of the musical contest of young singers "School of Nutsa – 2004" (Tbilisi, Georgia) and recently she won the third prize in the International Competition of Young Singers of Popular Music "New Wave 2006" in Jurmala, Latvia.

Click the play icon below to watch Sofo sing live

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iC49JdT_Ok