South Africa continues to seek solutions to Putin’s invitation to the BRICS summit

South Africa is seeking solutions to invite Russian President Vladimir Putin to the BRICS summit in connection with a warrant issued for his arrest by the International Criminal Court (ICC). This was stated by Deputy Minister of State Enterprises of the Republic Obed Bapela.

“The ICC does not have its own police force. These are the problems we are facing, including the question of whether the invitation should be withdrawn because we are the host of the BRICS,” Bapela said in an interview with SABC TV (quote according to RIA Novosti).

June 1 Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of the African country Naledi Pandor reportedthat South Africa and Russia are continuing consultations on holding a BRICS summit. She confirmed that the Russian president’s invitation to the summit was “fully preserved.”

Two days before, the South African Foreign Ministry promised diplomatic immunity to all participants of the BRICS summit. However, such immunities “do not extend to warrants of international courts against any participant in the conference.”

The BRICS summit (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) will be held in South Africa from 22 to 24 August. At the end of March, the South African Foreign Ministry reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin was invited to the BRICS summit, despite the fact that the decision of the ICC “is some cause for concern.”

Later, the press secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov confirmed the receipt of the invitation. He noted that Putin would make a decision on a trip to the summit “closer to the point”, and stressed that Russia “in any case will actively participate” in the work of the BRICS, since he considers “this is a very important association, the relevance of which is constantly increasing.”

On March 17, the Criminal Court in The Hague issued an arrest warrant for Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, Commissioner for Children’s Rights in the Russian Federation. Peskov said that the decisions of the ICC have no legal force and are void. Three days after the issuance of the warrant, the Russian Investigative Committee opened a criminal case against ICC prosecutor Karim Ahmad Khan, as well as judges Tomoko Akane, Rosario Salvatore Aytala and Sergio Gerardo Ugalde Godinez.