A spokesman for Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin says he will attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics.

Putin, formerly Russia’s president, joins a host of world leaders including U.S. President George W. Bush and French President Nicolas Sarkozy to confirm their participation in the Aug. 8 ceremony.

It is unclear whether official meetings will be conducted during the Aug. 8-24 Olympics.

Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said Monday that plans were still being worked on.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper have said they plan to stay away.

A spokesman for Russian President Dmitry Medvedev could not immediately confirm his plans.