43 countries to be represented in Belgrade

A record number of 43 countries will be represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 2008, the EBU confirmed today.

Two semifinals will take place.

In each semifinal, ten participants qualify for the final: nine of them through televoting, the tenth entry is the highest ranked non-qualified entry of the back-up juries.

The following 38 countries will be represented in the two semifinals of the 53rd Eurovision Song Contest:

Albania (RTVSH),

Andorra (RTVA),

Armenia (PTV),

Azerbaijan (iTV),

Belarus (BTRC),

Belgium (VRT),

Bosnia & Herzegovina

(PBSBIH),

Bulgaria (BNT),

Croatia (HRT),

Cyprus (CBC),

Czech Republic (CT),

Denmark (DR),

Estonia (ETV),

Finland (YLE),

FYR Macedonia (MKRTV),

Georgia (GEGT),

Greece (ERT),

Hungary (MTV),

Iceland (RUV),

Ireland (RTE),

Israel (IBA),

Latvia (LT),

Lithuania (LRT),

Malta (PBS),

Moldova (TRM),

Montenegro (RTCG),

The Netherlands (NPB),

Norway (NRK),

Poland (TVP),

Portugal (RTP),

Romania (TVR),

Russia (C1R),

San Marino (STV),

Slovenia (RTVSLO),

Sweden (SVT),

Switzerland (SRG SSR idée suisse),

Turkey (TRT)

Ukraine (NTU)

These 38 countries will be drawn into two semifinals, taking place on 20th and 22nd of May in Belgrade, Serbia.

The draw to determine on which night the 38 semifinalists will perform takes place on the 28th of January in Belgrade.

The official website of the Eurovision Song Contest will web-cast the event live.

The draws for the running order of the semifinals, the final and voting order takes place in mid-March. France, Germany, Serbia, Spain and the United Kingdom are automatically qualified for the final, scheduled for the 24th of May.

source:belgovision.com