Govt (still) exploring legal options on Putin - Pandor
International Relations and Cooperation Minister Naledi Pandor says government is still busy exploring its legal options ahead of the possible arrival of Russian President Vladimir Putin in South Africa.
Putin is wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes allegedly committed during his country’s invasion of Ukraine.
As a signatory to the Rome Statute, the government would be obliged to arrest Putin as soon as he sets foot in the country.
"The South African government is currently looking at what the legal options are with respect to this matter, and I have indicated that it is something the president would be the best person to speak about, once they have reached a conclusion," Pandor said on Thursday.
"The obligations are clearer, but the answer is not fudged, the answer is the President will indicate what is the final position of South Africa is. As it stands presently an invitations has been sent to all heads of state for the five BRICS countries."
Pandor was speaking on the sidelines of the BRICS nations foreign affairs ministers meeting in Cape Town on Thursday.
She also confirmed that the BRICS Summit will be held in Johannesburg in August and not in Durban as previously reported.
"We will explore opportunities to de-risking our BRICS institutions in the current financial landscape and look to bring fairness to global financial systems towards a world with less poverty, less inequality and more development," said Pandor.
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