KYODO NEWS - Jul 11, 2018 - 15:43 | Lifestyle, All

Representatives from 87 countries and the European Union are planning to take part in this year's memorial ceremony on Aug. 6 to mark the 73rd anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, city officials said Wednesday.

Among the world's nuclear powers, Britain, France and Russia will send their envoys, but China does not plan to and the United States has yet to clarify its stance, according to the officials.

Pakistan and Israel, de facto nuclear power states, will also attend the ceremony while Myanmar and Turkey are sending their officials to the event for the first time.

The city of Hiroshima has invited 157 countries and the European Union to participate in this year's ceremony from 8 a.m. at the Peace Memorial Park on Aug. 6. Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui is scheduled to make a peace declaration.

The anniversary comes amid expectations for North Korea to abandon its nuclear program as it has agreed with South Korea and the United States to work toward the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

South Korea will be represented at the ceremony but North Korea has yet to decide whether to send its official, according to the city.

The atomic bomb dropped from the U.S. bomber Enola Gay detonated over the city at 8:15 a.m. on Aug. 6, 1945, killing an estimated 140,000 people by the end of that year. The average age of survivors has exceeded 82.