South Africa, the host of this August's BRICS summit, is weighing its options after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin, the South African deputy minister for public enterprises said Monday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 05th June, 2023) South Africa, the host of this August's BRICS summit, is weighing its options after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin, the South African deputy minister for public enterprises said Monday.
"We are just weighing whether, if he comes, if we will be able to arrest and that is a very difficult issue ... It is very difficult because you are provoking a nation that has appointed or elected their own president and you come and embarrass them," Obed Bapela said on SABC radio.
"So, those are the difficulties we are looking at, including whether to withdraw the invitation (to Putin) because we are the host of BRICS and when you withdraw you must also talk to the other four members as South Africa is the host," he added.
The Hague-based court issued an arrest warrant for Putin in March over the conflict in Ukraine. Moscow called the ruling null and void because Russia is not a party to the Rome Statute, which established the ICC.
Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the country would be properly represented at the BRICS leaders' meeting to be held in Durban from August 22-24. The five-nation group of emerging economies is made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
