The African National Congress has welcomed the announcement by President Cyril Ramaphosa that Russia’s President Vladimir Putin would not attend the15th BRICS Summit due to take place next month.
Addressing the media on the sidelines of the BRICS Political Parties Plus Dialogue in Johannesburg, ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri said “wisdom has prevailed” among the BRICS leaders who were in prolonged discussions regarding Putin’s attendance of the Summit, knowing a warrant of arrest by the International Criminal Court hung over his head.
She said the matter of South Africa detaining and handing Putin over to the ICC if he attended the BRICS Summit was now “put to rest” and the focus could shift to pressing issues that the BRICS needed to deal with.
“We acknowledge this and we welcome the agreement, finally putting that matter to rest in order for us and the developing countries to focus on the pressing issues of the day. Dealing with poverty, unemployment and fighting for a just, humane and fair society.
“We still welcome the fact that the Russian federation would be represented by the foreign minister and the diplomats based in South Africa,” she said.
Bhengu-Motsiri said the ANC also believed that there was nothing that would threaten the BRICS Summit.
“If anything, this underscores the need to have a very thorough engagement about the state of the geopolitical situation, the role of United Nations institutions and the role of the ICC,” she said.
The ANC further congratulated Ramaphosa on “walking the talk” by engaging Putin and other BRICS countries, including championing the African Peace Initiative between Russia and Ukraine.
She added that the ANC was “not going back on anything” as it always made clear its stance that it wanted Putin to attend the Summit in person.
“Surely there must have been a number of considerations taken before this decision.
“I would like to think that the consultation must have come to some wisdom about the need to let the BRICS Summit focus on the pressing issues in the geopolitical situation,” she said.