The government of South Africa appealed to Moscow, asking that Sergey Lavrov, the head of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, represent Russia at the BRICS summit instead of the Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. However, their request was denied. This information was reported by the Russian publication Meduza, citing the South African Mail & Guardian.
Deputy President of South Africa, Paul Mashatile, informed the publication that Russia rejected President Cyril Ramaphosa’s request for Sergey Lavrov to lead the Russian delegation at the BRICS summit in August instead of Putin.
According to Mashatile, South Africa would have been ‘happy’ if Putin did not attend the summit. “We understand that we are bound by the Rome Statute, but we cannot invite someone and then arrest them,” said the Deputy President, referring to the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant for Putin and South Africa’s obligations as a signatory to the Rome Statute.
India and Brazil rejected the option of relocating the BRICS summit due to Putin’s inability to travel from South Africa to China, said Mashatile. He added that discussions regarding Putin’s participation in the BRICS leaders’ meeting are ongoing.
On March 17, 2023, the International Criminal Court in The Hague issued an arrest warrant for Putin and the authorized representative for children’s rights in Russia, Maria Lvova-Belova, on charges of involvement in the abduction of Ukrainian children.