Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev will attend the Victory Day celebrations in Moscow marking the 81st anniversary of the Soviet triumph in World War II, his press secretary and adviser Aibek Smadiyarov announced on Telegram.
The visit carries particular significance: Tokayev's name had been conspicuously absent from the Kremlin's officially published list of foreign guests invited to the Red Square parade, as had the name of Uzbekistan's President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, who has already traveled to Moscow on a working visit and will also take part in the commemorations, according to his press service.
The Kremlin characterized Tokayev's upcoming working visit as a «friendly gesture» and expressed its satisfaction with the decision. A separate bilateral meeting between the two presidents is planned, at which Tokayev and Putin will discuss key issues of strategic cooperation — talks that will also serve as preparation for Putin's scheduled visit to Kazakhstan at the end of May.
What else Mirziyoyev's visit will encompass beyond the commemorative events has not been disclosed by Tashkent.
Commentary: The central question remains what exactly «participation in the festivities» entails. In addition to the Red Square parade, a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is also on the program. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, for instance, who is also traveling to Moscow, will lay a wreath but will not attend the parade. Whether Tokayev and Mirziyoyev will appear on Red Square — which has become a security concern in recent years — will become clear on May 9.
