Head of the Armenian Delegation Gohar Gasparyan has commented on the ban on the Artsakh flag at the Eurovision Song Contest.
Gasparyan said at a press conference on April 29 that such decisions are taken for safety reasons to prevent possible signs of aggression among the audience. "As the contest participants, we should respect the Eurovision rules," she said.
According to the official press release posted on Stockholm Globe Arena's website, the contest organizers prohibit the participants and audience from bringing to the concert the flags of Nagorno-Karabakh, Kosovo, Palestine, Donetsk People's Republic, Northern Cyprus, Transnistria, Crimea, as well as the flag of the Islamic State terrorist organization. The ban also concerns the posters with the Basques' symbols. The semifinals of Eurovision-2016 will be held in Sweden on May 10 and 12, and the final show will take place on May 14. This year Armenia is represented by Iveta Mukuchyan with the song "LoveWave". She will be the seventh to perform in the first semifinals.