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Bulgarian singer slams 2017 Eurovision Song Contest as politicized

The semifinals of the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest will be held in Kiev on May 9 and 11 while the Grand Final will take place on May 13

Vitali Klitschko, Mayor of Kiev, takes the chain with the symbolic keys of the host cities of the Eurovision Song Contest in Kiev AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky

Vitali Klitschko, Mayor of Kiev, takes the chain with the symbolic keys of the host cities of the Eurovision Song Contest in Kiev

© AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky

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Eurovision broadcaster eyeing ban on Kiev from song contest over ‘unacceptable behavior’

SOFIA, March 30. /TASS/. The 2017 Eurovision Song Contest is overly politicized, Bulgaria’s representative Kristian Kostov said in an interview with TASS. Kostov, who was one of the finalists of the Russian The Voice Kids TV show, added that the situation surrounding Russian contestant Yulia Samoilova was "terrible and unfair."

"I don’t like to discuss political issues because I think that the Eurovision Song Contest is a music event while music unites people, but this time we see the opposite thing. I hope things will settle down, the parties will come to terms and solve the problem. It would be a pity to lose such a contestant as Yulia, because I know her, she is a very bright person, she is an extremely kind soul and I would very much like to see her take part in the contest’s final. What is going on right now is terrible and unfair," the Bulgarian singer said.

Last week, the Ukrainian Security Council (SBU) issued a three-year entry ban against Samoilova, citing her performance at a festival dubbed "A World of Sports and Kindness" held in Crimea on June 27, 2015. Ukraine’s authorities say that by performing in Crimea, Samoilova violated the Ukrainian government’s regulation dated June 4, 2015, which stipulates that foreign citizens should receive a special permission in order to enter Crimea.

Kristian Kostov, 17, the youngest of the Eurovision contestants, was born in Moscow. His father is Bulgarian while his mother is a citizen of Kazakhstan. Kristian received musical education in Russia. "I am not an ethnic Russian but I grew up in Russia and I would be very glad if Russians support me," Kristian said.

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"My song, called ‘Beautiful Mess’, is about the chaos ruling the world where every day something bad happens and we don’t know what to expect in the future. The only thing that helps people move forward is love, not only the love between two people but the love for the world that surrounds us. It is love that makes chaos beautiful and helps us to fight it," the Bulgarian Eurovision contestant pointed out.

Kostov won the Bulgarian qualification competition defeating ten other candidates to represent the country at the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest. Since 2016, he has been cooperating with Bulgaria’s biggest recording company Virginia Records. The Bulgarian audience knows him well as one of the finalists of the X Factor show.

The semifinals of the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest will be held in the Ukrainian capital of Kiev on May 9 and 11 while the Grand Final will take place on May 13.

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Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger reaffirm withdrawal from ECOWAS irreversible

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