Eva Rivas, who was Armenia’s entry in this year’s Eurovision, has dropped hints at her possible ambitions to represent the country in the continent’s biggest pop music contest in two years.


In an interview with Armenian Public Television aired on Tuesday evening, the 22-year-old Russian-Armenian singer and model (born Valeria Reshetnikova-Tsaturian) said she was content with her performance of the English-language song “Apricot Stone” in Norwegian capital Oslo last weekend. The three-minute show also featuring renowned duduk maestro Jivan Gasparyan brought Armenia seventh place in the Eurovision finals.

“But there is still some feeling of dissatisfaction with the place that we got. So I’d like to return there [Eurovision] to get a victory for Armenia in 2012,” said Rivas.

She said the Armenian show this year was solid enough to boost the chances of the country’s 2011 entry to win.

Rivas was a controversial pick as an Armenia Eurovision entry following a closely contested national selection final in February. Her close rivals Emmy & Mihran claimed foul play and protested the choice based on the results of a combined vote by TV viewers and a panel of judges.

Organizers of the annual contest held since 1956 give public broadcasters the prerogative in choosing national entries. Public TV may choose to have a direct nomination of a singer/song or organize a competition for a singer/song (choosing the form of evaluation).

No frontrunners for next Eurovision to be held in Germany in May 2011 can yet be seen in Armenia.