BELGRADE, June 16./TASS/. Renowned Serbian filmmaker, actor and musician Emir Kusturica said on Tuesday that he would attend the Victory Parade in Moscow on June 24 at the invitation of Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.

In comments to Iskra web portal, Kusturica said that on June 24, he "will be on Red Square and will watch a magnificent parade marking the 75th anniversary of the victory of Russian weapons in the Great Patriotic War." The news portal also uploaded the invitation to the filmmaker signed by Shoigu. "A parade to mark the 75th anniversary of Victory in the 1941-1945 Great Patriotic War will take place on Moscow’s Red Square on June 24, 2020. On that day, our Serbian brothers will march on Red Square shoulder-to-shoulder with Russian military. Emir, I invite you to take part in this remarkable event as a guest of honor. With all my heart I wish you good health, prosperity and further creative success," the invitation said.

Earlier, Shoigu said that the Defense Ministry had invited units from the armies of 19 states to take part in the parade. According to him, about 14,000 people will participate in the parade.

At his video conference with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on May 26, President Vladimir Putin announced that the anticipated Victory Parade would be held on Moscow’s Red Square on June 24.

The head of state explained he had chosen this date because June 24 was the day when in 1945 the legendary historic parade of victors took place, with soldiers, who fought for Moscow, defended Leningrad and Stalingrad, liberated Europe and stormed Berlin, marching on Red Square.

The Russian president instructed the defense chief to make sure that there weren’t any health risks to the military parade’s participants.