JOHANNESBURG, South Africa
South Africa said on Thursday it will host the BRICS bloc summit in August as planned, amid speculation that it may move to China so Russia's President Vladimir Putin can attend in a nation not obliged to arrest him on war crimes accusations.
As a signatory to the
International Criminal Court (ICC), South Africa has a duty to arrest Putin if
he attends the talks between the leaders of Brazil, Russia, India and China,
due to an arrest warrant over the deportation of children from Ukraine. Putin
denies the charges.
"South Africa will host
the 15th BRICS Summit at the Sandton Convention Centre in Sandton,
Johannesburg, from 22 to 24 August 2023," the Department of International
Relations said in a statement.
South African President Cyril
Ramaphosa met with Putin on June 17 in Russia, historically a strong ally of
the governing African National Congress (ANC) since it was a liberation
movement fighting white minority rule decades ago.
Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya confirmed to Reuters in a text message that this meant the whole summit, including the main part involving the BRICS heads of state, would take place in South Africa.
He and a spokesperson for the
international relations department declined to comment on whether or not Putin
will attend.
South African officials had at
the end of last month said the BRICS countries were considering moving the
summit to China, which is not a member of the international court. They could
still decide to change the venue at the last minute.
On Tuesday, South Africa's
Minister of International Relations Naledi Pandor said Putin had not yet
replied to an invitation, sent before the ICC charged him on March 18.
Chinese President Xi Jinping,
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula
da Silva all plan to attend, Pandor said.
South Africa says it is
neutral in the Ukraine conflict, but has been criticized by Western powers for
being friendly to Russia, including hosting Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and
conducting joint naval exercises.
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