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VITEBSK, 11 July (BelTA) – Great vocal skills of participants of the Vitebsk 2011 Song Contest reaffirms the prestige and high status of the contest, First Deputy Culture Minister of Belarus Vladimir Karachevsky told BelTA after a ceremony of drawing lots of the Vitebsk 2011 Song Contest. Vladimir Karachevsky noted that this year the contestants are very strong. According to him, the 20th song competition will be a tough one. The history of the song contest shows that Yugoslavia is an undisputed leader in the number of collected Grand Prix titles. Even after the breakup of Yugoslavia, singers from Balkan states were often among prize winners in Vitebsk. Todor Proeski from Macedonia won the title in 2000; in 2010 the Grand Prix went to Damir Kedzo from Croatia. Belarus’ Maxim Sapatkov, Piotr Yelfimov and Polina Smolova also became Grand Prix winners. Partaking in the 20th International Song Contest Vitebsk 2011 will be 20 singers from 20 countries. Belarus will be represented by Alena Lanskaya.

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