From Jan 28:
South Africa to host 15th BRICS summit at Durban in late August 2023
The 15th BRICS summit is all set to take place in South Africa's Durban in late August this year
The foreign ministers of Brazil,
Russia, India, and China met for the first time on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in 2006, kicking off BRIC cooperation. Later in April 2011,
South Africa participated, for the first time, in the 3rd
BRICS Summit held in Sanya, China.
The announcement was apparently made by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at a joint news conference with Foreign Minister of the State of Eritrea Osman Saleh in Massawa, Eritrea on January 26.
Calling
BRICS a manifestation of global multi-polarity, Lavrov said that strengthening regional identity in the developing regions of the world does not mean that multi-polarity is not happening in a global dimension. "This organisation unites five countries, with more than 12 others showing an interest in joining it. Developing links between BRICS and other countries will be a central topic at the upcoming summit of the five which is to take place in August in Durban,
South Africa. The clock of multi-polar history is ticking in the right direction," Lavrov said.
Since 2009, the BRICS leaders have convened 14 formal meetings and 9 informal meetings. Earlier in 2013, the fifth annual BRICS summit was held in Durban,
South Africa. It was attended by the head of state or heads of government of the five member states Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. In June 2009, the BRIC leaders held their first meeting in Russia, upgrading BRIC cooperation to Summit level. The BRIC leaders met for the first time in Russia in June 2009, elevating BRIC cooperation to Summit status.
The 15th BRICS summit is all set to take place in South Africa's Durban in late August this year
www.business-standard.com
From March 24:
South African Authorities Unwilling To Arrest Putin If He Comes To BRICS Summit
The authorities of the Republic of South Africa are unlikely to arrest the president of any state. About this Bloomberg
reported two unnamed South African Foreign Ministry officials commenting on the International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant in The Hague against Russian President Vladimir Putin.
South Africa has ratified the Rome Statute and, on that basis, will have to comply with the ICC ruling if Putin comes to the country. However, according to agency sources, the South African government and the ruling party, the African National Congress, are considering all possible options in order to avoid carrying out Putin’s arrest warrant. The official Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South Africa has not commented on this.
Meanwhile, South Africa’s Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor, on the country’s state television, said authorities were conducting legal consultations regarding the warrant. “We await an updated legal opinion on this matter,” she said. At the same time, Pandor noted that in South Africa “they are concerned about the situation of the Ukrainian people”. “What we would like to do is be in a position where we can continue to engage with both countries to convince them of the need for peace,” the South African foreign minister said.
In August 2023, the BRICS summit is to be held in South Africa (the union includes Russia, Brazil, South Africa, China and India), to which, among others, Putin should have been invited ,
said Ambassador of the Republic of South Africa in Moscow Mzuvukile Maketuka. March 24, Russian President’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov
reportedthat the decision on Putin’s presence at the BRICS summit “has not yet been made”. Previously, Putin had visited the BRICS summit several times, and in 2013 he arrived in South Africa.
On March 19, South African President Vincent Magvenia’s press secretary, commenting on the arrest warrant for Putin,
declaredthat the Republic of South Africa is aware of its legal obligations to the International Criminal Court. At the same time, he stressed that ahead of the BRICS summit, South Africa will continue to “engage with various relevant stakeholders.”
South Africa maintains a neutral position on the military conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Additionally, South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor said in January that the country had become less inclined to criticize Moscow and also withdrew its demand for the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine.
On March 17, the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian mediator Maria Lvova-Belova on suspicion of “illegal deportation” of children from Ukraine. The Kremlin has said Russia does not recognize the jurisdiction of the ICC and considers its decision “void”. Authorities in some countries that recognize the Rome Statute have announced that they will arrest Putin if he arrives, including German Justice Minister Marco Buschmann has spoken about it. Mauro Vieira, Brazilian Minister of Foreign Affairs
admitted Putin’s arrest on Brazilian territory, while he stressed that the country has no official position regarding the ICC decision. Constitutional Court of Armenia
declaredwhich recognizes the obligations arising from the Rome Statute. In turn, Hungary, which has also ratified the Rome Statute, said it would not arrest Putin if he entered the country because the treaty was not incorporated into the Hungarian legal system and it there was no legal basis for the arrest.