TOKYO (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 05th June, 2020) Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will not visit the Victory Day parade that will take place in Moscow on June 24, as the event will be held primarily for the countries from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), Japanese media reported on Friday.
Abe was going to visit the parade on May 9, but the event was delayed over the COVID-19 pandemic.
"The prime minister is unlikely to visit Russia [only] for the sake of the ceremony," a high-ranking government source told the Asahi Shimbun newspaper.
The newspaper also cited Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who said that Moscow would focus on inviting CIS leaders to visit the parade.
This year's parade will commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.
