SOUTH African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on Sunday that the upcoming BRICS summit, scheduled for next month, will proceed as an in-person gathering, despite the presence of an arrest warrant on Russian President Vladimir Putin. Ramaphosa confirmed the decision during a conference held by the ruling ANC and emphasised that the summit will be a ‘physical’ meeting.
While Ramaphosa did not explicitly mention whether Putin would attend the summit, he stated, ‘We are going to have a physical BRICS summit, all of us are committed to having a summit where we will be able to eyeball each other.’ The president’s response came in light of a question posed by journalists regarding the attendance of Putin, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for allegations of unlawfully deporting Ukrainian children.
Ramaphosa highlighted the significance of conducting an in-person summit, saying, ‘We have not held a physical summit for… almost three years. It’s not going to be virtual.’ss The move to hold the summit in person reflects the commitment of the BRICS member countries to engage directly with one another.
However, South Africa’s membership in the ICC presents a diplomatic dilemma, as the country would be expected to arrest Putin if he sets foot on its soil. Local media had previously speculated that Pretoria might consider relocating the talks to China in order to avoid the potential predicament of having to apprehend Putin.
The arrest warrant on Putin complicates matters for Pretoria, which has maintained a close relationship with the Kremlin since the anti-apartheid struggle era. South Africa has adopted an impartial stance on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and has advocated for dialogue rather than condemnation.
In a recent effort to mediate peace between Kyiv and Moscow, Ramaphosa led a historic mission alongside the presidents of the Republic of Congo, Egypt, Senegal, and Uganda. The African leaders presented a 10-point proposal, including de-escalation measures, recognition of countries’ sovereignty, unimpeded grain exports through the Black Sea, and the repatriation of prisoners of war and children to their respective countries.
South Africa, as the current chair of the BRICS, an alliance comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, aims to challenge the dominant global governance structures led by the United States and Europe. The 15th BRICS summit is scheduled to take place at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, the financial hub of South Africa, from August 22 to 24.
(with AFP)
