Cape Town – Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov has reportedly criticised French President Emmanuel Macron’s reported desire to attend the Brics summit, saying that he would be an inappropriate guest.
France’s foreign minister Catherine Colonna said on Wednesday that she had informed summit hosts South Africa of Macron’s “interest” in attending as an observer at the summit of a bloc which groups Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
“I informed my counterpart… of the President’s availability and interest in pursuing dialogue that France maintains with the Brics,” Colonna said in response to a journalist’s question during a visit to South Africa, according to AFP.
It is not common for other foreign leaders to attend the bloc’s meetings.
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But Ryabkov cited France’s hostile policies towards Russia and its alignment with Nato’s position of isolating Russia on the international stage as reasons for Macron’s inappropriateness, Reuters reported.
“Clearly, leaders of states that pursue such a hostile and unacceptable policy towards us, discussing with such emphasis and conviction that Russia should be isolated on the international stage, and share the common Nato line on inflicting a so-called strategic defeat on us – such a leader is an inappropriate Brics guest.
“And we are not hiding this approach of ours, we have told our colleagues from South Africa. We expect that our point of view will be fully accepted,” Ryabkov was quoted as saying.
South Africa is considering its legal options regarding Russian President Vladimir Putin’s attendance at the summit due to the International Criminal Court (ICC) issuing an arrest warrant for him over the Ukraine conflict.
As an ICC member, South Africa would be obligated to arrest Putin if he attends the BRICS summit.
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Source: AFP
Picture: Getty Images
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