HANOI, May 4. /TASS/. Vietnam’s President Truong Tan Sang will visit Russia on May 7-10 and take part in the celebrations of the 70th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s Victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two, according to a communique released by the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry on Monday.
Head of the Kremlin administration Sergei Ivanov said on May 2 that fewer foreign guests would attend V-Day celebrations in Moscow this year than 10 years ago but it was more important for the Russian authorities to hold the festivities in a dignified manner primarily for citizens of Russia.
"First of all, this is a Russian holiday. Victory Day has large significance for the Russian people: they are proud of it and want to stress that the USSR played a decisive role in the victory over Nazism," the head of the Kremlin administration said.
"We’re ready to accord a hearty welcome to all who have responded to our invitation but let me stress that first of all this is our holiday and our remembrance day," Ivanov said.
A total of 26 heads of state and government have officially confirmed their participation in the V-Day celebrations in Moscow, along with the heads of some international organizations, including the United Nations, Ivanov said.
Foreign participants in the V-Day festivities in Moscow will include "the heads of CIS states, Asian countries, some BRICS [Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa] member states, and also the heads of some European states such as the Czech Republic, Slovakia, the Balkan countries and Cyprus," Ivanov said.
"German Chancellor Angela Merkel will arrive in Moscow on May 10, i.e. the next day after Victory Parade," the head of the Kremlin administration said.
About 27 million Soviet citizens, including both civilians and servicemen, died in the Great Patriotic War against Nazi Germany in 1941-1945, according to official data.