Chinese President Xi Jinping has accepted an invitation from Russia to attend celebrations marking the former Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, Russia’s TASS news agency reported on Monday.

The celebrations will take place on 9 May and will include a military parade on Moscow’s Red Square, according to Reuters.

Since Vladimir Putin’s inauguration as Russia’s president in 2000, the parade has been used to commemorate Victory Day on 9 May and to showcase Russia’s military strength after the setback following the collapse of the Soviet Union.