Controversy is these days surrounding the Baltic republics after Estonia's minister of Culture stated that the country should withdraw from Eurovision Song Contest 2009 as a boycott to Russia's behaviour in Georgia crisis. The same might happen in Lithuania as the head of LRT, Mr Rimvydas Paleckis suggested. A different opinion arises in Latvia: composer Mr Raimond Pauls claims that his country should not follow its neighbours' path.

"I'm absolutely against mixing up culture and politics. Latvia must participate at Eurovision 2009". This is the opinion of the Latvian composer Raimond Pauls, who states that "Music does not mind about borders nor politics" to criticise the possible Estonian boycott to next year's Eurovision Song Contest, to be held in Moscow, in response to the Russian-Georgian conflict on South Ossetia and Abkhazia regions.

The same situation could happen in neighbouring Lithuania. Mr Rimvydas Paleckis, head of the public broadcaster LRT, leaves the door open for a possible Lithuanian withdrawal too: "I think it is still too early to talk about it, but judging by the events and how Russia behaves, it is obvious that it might occur". Nonetheless, LRT officials still hope that the situation will cool down and if this happens, Lithuania would be represented in Moscow.