Pandor: no plan to move Brics summit

International relations & cooperation minister Naledi Pandor dismissed reports on Thursday that the government is considering moving the annual Brics summit to another country to prevent arrest of Russia’s President Vladimir Putin.

The possibility of Putin’s attendance at the Brics (Brazil, Russia, India, China and SA) summit in August has become a political conundrum for SA, which under international law is compelled to arrest Russia’s leader should he land in the country. The International Criminal Court (ICC) in March issued a warrant of arrest for Putin in relation to the alleged forced deportation of children from Ukraine to Russia.

As a signatory to the Rome Statute, SA is compelled to act on the warrant should Putin come to the summit, which he has been invited to attend.

Pandor on Monday echoed the sentiments of SA’s ambassador at large on Asia and Brics, Anil Sooklal, who earlier had confirmed that the summit would be held in the country’s economic hub.

“We have constantly stated that we have fixed the date for the summit as 22-24 August at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg and we are busy with preparations for the summit. That is our responsibility as the current chair of Brics,” Sooklal told reporters on the sidelines of the Brics meeting of foreign ministers.

Pandor confirmed this during the opening session of the foreign ministers’ meeting by saying: “We will reflect on partnerships and preparations between the Brics 15th summit which will be held in Johannesburg this year [and] not in Durban.”

Their comments came hours after Bloomberg, citing unnamed people, reported that Pretoria is considering asking China to host the meeting of heads of state, or alternatively neighbouring Mozambique.

On Monday, the department of international relations & cooperation published a gazette which grants diplomatic immunity to attendees of both the foreign ministers’ meeting, which concludes on Friday, and the Brics annual summit in August. The gazette, however, does not override international law or any warrant of arrest.

The ICC has said it expects SA to fulfil its obligations as a signatory of the Rome Statute. Part 9 of the statute stipulates that all parties to the legislation have an obligation to co-operate in the ICC’s investigation and prosecution of crimes within the jurisdiction of the court.

The Mail & Guardian on Tuesday reported that the government had received notice of a warrant of arrest from the ICC. SA in the meantime is seeking a legal opinion regarding Putin’s possible attendance at the August summit.

“Our government is currently looking at what the legal options are with respect to this matter and I’ve indicated … that it is something the president will be the best person to speak about this once it has reached a conclusion,” Pandor said at a press briefing.

One of the key topics for the two-day discussions in Cape Town is how to challenge the dominance of Western countries in world affairs.

Pandor said the meetings will “look to bring fairness to global financial systems, less poverty, inequality and focus on development”, while India’s Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said the gathering “must send out a strong message that the world is multipolar and rebalancing”.

“Old ways cannot address new situations. We are a symbol of change. We must act,” he said.

Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov accused the West of threatening sanctions against African countries and China because the West “wants to continue living at the expense of others as colonialists used to do and remove any strong rivals by indecent and dishonest methods”.