LOC10:50
07:50 GMT
TOKYO, March 6 (KUNA) -- The Japanese government will send a senior vice
minister the opening ceremony of the Winter Paralympic Games in the Russian
city of Sochi, Chief Cabinet Secretary announced on Thursday, despite high
tensions over Russia's military intervention in Ukraine.
According to the top government spokesman, Senior Vice Minister of
Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Yoshitaka Sakurada will
attend the ceremony due Friday as Japan's official representative. The
announcement came after the US, Britain and Canada canceled their plan to send
government representatives to Sochi in protest at the Russian intervention in
Ukraine's Crimean region.
"We are aware of various movements in the international community. But
Japan's position is to be cautious about bringing political conditions into
the Paralympic movement," Suga told a news conference.
At a parliament committee on Wednesday, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe
said Tokyo will make a decision to send an official representative to the
Paralympics by carefully assessing the situation within the international
community.
The Paralympic Games will run through March 16. (end)
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KUNA 061050 Mar 14NNNN