President Cyril Ramaphosa has officially announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin will not be present at the BRICS summit scheduled for August.
South Africa is hosting the 15th Summit of BRICS nations, which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.
Ramaphosa faced considerable pressure in determining Putin’s attendance, as the International Criminal Court (ICC) had issued an arrest warrant for him over allegations of human rights violations in the Ukrainian war.
As a signatory to the Rome Statute and a member of the ICC, South Africa would be obliged to arrest Putin if he were to visit the country.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has already taken legal action, seeking a court order to ensure immediate detention and surrender of Putin to the ICC if he attends the summit.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Mbalula Slams EFF Leader: “Malema Is The Biggest Puppet In This Country
In response to the situation, a statement released by Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya on Wednesday revealed that a mutual agreement had been reached, and Russia will be represented by its Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at the summit.
President Ramaphosa expressed confidence in the success of the summit and called on the nation to extend hospitality to the delegates arriving from various parts of the continent and the world.
