15th July, 2023
Russian President Vladimir Putin held a phone call with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Saturday.
The Kremlin confirmed the conversation, saying it was based on the Black Sea grain deal and an African peace initiative on Ukraine.
On the grain deal, which expires on Monday, Putin reiterated to Ramaphosa that commitments to remove obstacles to Russian food and fertiliser exports had not yet been fulfilled.
Meanwhile, Putin is expected to be in South Africa for BRICS in August despite an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court.
BRICS, originally named BRIC, is an acronym for the world economies of Brazil, Russia, India and China, which in 2010 had included the letter S for South Africa.
Following the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court against Putin, there have been suggestions that the event could happen virtually.
But, according to Kyiv Post, Ramaphosa assured at a meeting of the BRICS Business Council in Sandton on Thursday that the summit will be held live, rather than online.
BRICS Business Council head Stavros Nicoalou also said that all heads of state from the five BRICS nations would attend August’s GATHERING to be held in South Africa.
“There were rumors that this too could become an online summit – no. It is going to be face to face, eyeball to eyeball,” Ramaphosa said.
South Africa is required to arrest Putin if he travels there as a signatory of the Rome Statute that governs the ICC.
However, that may not be possible for South Africa.
“We understand we are bound by the Rome Statute but we can’t invite someone and then you arrest them. You can understand our dilemma,” South African Deputy President Paul Mashatile told Mail & Guardian.