Putin not to attend former Japan PM Shinzo Abe's funeral scheduled for July 12: Kremlin

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin will not be attending the funeral of Japan's former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was killed on July 8. "Putin - no. The rest depends on protocol rules," Peskov told the TASS news agency, when asked about the Russian President's participation. Earlier, the Kremlin had condemned the incident and also expressed its condolences after the death of the Japanese leader. "We are deeply saddened by the news from Japan. We resolutely condemn the attack on the former prime minister, Mr Abe. We expect Russian President Vladimir Putin to send a telegram of condolences shortly. Our deepest condolences to the people of Japan," Peskov stated. 

The Kremlin spokesperson further stated that Abe was a true patriot of Japan who actively pursued diplomatic solutions while constantly defending national interests. "This is why he had very good relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin," Peskov noted, as per the TASS. According to reports, there were more than 25 tete-a-tete meetings between Putin and Abe. In 2018 and 2019, they attended the opening and closing ceremonies for years of cultural interaction between the two nations. Besides, both leaders also attended a gala banquet for the "Stars of the White Nights" music festival outside St. Petersburg and spoke with the International Space Station (ISS) crews through video links. They reportedly met last in 2019. 

Abe's funeral likely to take place on July 12 in his hometown

According to Kyodo News, the funeral of the slain Japanese leader is expected to take place on Tuesday, July 12, in his hometown of Shimonoseki -- located in Yamaguchi prefecture. On July 8, a gunman opened fire on Abe from behind while he was delivering a campaign speech on a street in Japan's Nara prefecture. Following the incident, he was airlifted to a nearby hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries. On Saturday, July 9, his body was brought to the capital city, Tokyo.

QUAD leader hailed  Abe as a 'transformative leader'

It should be mentioned here that several leaders across the world paid their condolences to Japan and to Abe's family following the tragic incident. Meanwhile, the QUAD leaders also expressed shock over the assassination of Japan's tallest leader. In a statement, Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with US President Joe Biden and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese hailed Abe as a “transformative leader”. The QUAD leaders also acknowledged Abe’s “formative role” in founding the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue in 2007.

Image: AP