SA had no other choice but to dissuade Russia’s President Vladimir Putin from attending the Brics summit scheduled for August because it is a signatory to the Rome Statute, according to a senior Kremlin official.
Putin’s attendance at the summit has been a political headache for SA, which has refused to condemn Russia in its conflict with Ukraine, much to the annoyance of its Western trade partners.
His decision not to attend the summit solves the predicament of SA having to arrest a sitting head of government or not adhering to its obligations as a signatory of the Rome Statute.
Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said the decision was by mutual agreement between all Brics member states. “It was over several consultations that have been taking place on the matter... It wasn’t a difficult process. The commitment to SA’s successful hosting of the summit, the historic nature of this upcoming Brics summit, and a recognition of SA’s legal obligation to the Rome Statute guided the deliberations over the participation of Russia during the summit,” Magwenya said on Wednesday.
But considering SA’s international law obligations, Russian senator Andrey Klimov, who is also the deputy of the State Duma (Russia’s Assembly), says the mutual decision by Moscow and Pretoria to replace Putin with Sergei Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister, does not come as a surprise.
“Honestly, I am not surprised ... the situation is based on factors which are not from SA. This is about the environment of today’s world and of course we need special confirmation from the official side of the presidential administration of the Russian Federation,” Klimov told Business Day.
“Before leaving Russia I heard different scenarios of what would happen but certainly we Russians, we Chinese, we Indians, we are guests here [in SA] and it is up to the master of the house, the president of the country, to make decisions on this.”
President Cyril Ramaphosa previously said arresting Putin would be tantamount to a declaration of war against Russia, which SA seeks to avoid.
Klimov was speaking on Wednesday on the sidelines of the Brics Political Party Plus Dialogue, where Putin’s United Russia party is a participant.
Russia’s state media reported on Wednesday that Putin would however attend the conference virtually. Lavrov, who will be physically present in Johannesburg, will be joined by the leaders of India, China, Brazil and SA.
“By mutual agreement, President Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation will not attend the summit,” the presidency said in a statement on Wednesday.
“President Ramaphosa is confident the summit will be a success and calls on the nation to extend the necessary hospitality to the many delegates who will arrive from various parts of the continent and the globe.”
Meanwhile, the Kremlin said on Wednesday that Russia did not tell SA that arresting Putin would mean “war”.
However, spokesperson for the Kremlin, Dmitry Peskov, said everyone understood, without having it explained to them, what an attempt to infringe on Putin’s rights would mean.
A local court submission published on Tuesday showed that Ramaphosa had asked permission from the International Criminal Court not to arrest Putin because it would amount to a declaration of war.
The ANC said it was relieved that the matter has been laid to rest. “We acknowledge and welcome this, finally laying that matter to rest, for us and developing countries to focus on the pressing issues of the day, dealing with poverty and unemployment and fighting for a humane and fair society,” ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri said.
The DA, which has approached the high court to compel the state to arrest Putin should he arrive in SA for the Brics summit, says it will proceed with its court application. The case will be heard in Pretoria on Friday.
With Reuters
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