Nagasaki Won't Invite Russia, Belarus To Peace Ceremony
The Japanese city of Nagasaki will not invite Russia and its close ally Belarus to an annual ceremony marking the city's 1945 atomic bombing because of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
Mayor Taue Tomihisa told reporters on Thursday the city would not send invitations to the two countries' ambassadors to Japan.
He said that though he wants the ambassadors to understand what the atomic bombing did to Nagasaki, he could not invite them as their presence could disrupt the ceremony, to be held on August 9 at the city's Peace Park.
Taue added it was regrettable the city had to take such a measure.
About 4,000 people, including atomic bomb survivors, their relatives and foreign ambassadors, used to attend the ceremony before the coronavirus pandemic.
The event has been downsized to around 500 people in the past two years, but the mayor indicated the number of attendees would be increased to 1,700 this year.