Kazakhstan Seeks Full EBU Membership to Compete in Eurovision

Those requirements are set out in the EBU’s statutes, which were relaxed in June to allow broadcasters from some countries outside Europe to become full members.

“Khabar Agency is a valued Associate Member of the EBU, and we appreciate its long-standing engagement with the Union,” the statement added.

The broadcaster, controlled by Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Culture and Information, took the country to Junior Eurovision five times between 2018 and 2022, finishing as runner-up twice. Associate membership, however, does not provide an automatic route into the senior contest.

A small portion of Kazakhstan (albeit an area larger than Greece) lies within geographical Europe, bolstering its claim that it should be able to compete. The EU is the country’s largest trading partner.

That said, geography is hardly a deal-breaker. Australia has competed through special invitations since 2015, finishing fourth in May earlier this year. Canada went further this summer: CBC/Radio-Canada became a full EBU member after the rule change and will make its Eurovision debut in 2027. Canada qualifies because it holds observer status with the Council of Europe and meets the EBU’s public-service-media criteria. Russia frequently competed in the past, until it was kicked out of the competition following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, despite most of its vast territory being in Asia.