Africa-Press – Liberia. President Cyril Ramaphosa has remained mum on the outcome of talks to move the upcoming Brics summit to China following a call with his counterpart Xi Jinping.
The two heads of state spoke over a phone call on Friday to discuss a peace mission to Ukraine and Russia by African leaders.
The meeting of the five-member Brics (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) bloc was also on the agenda, further fuelling speculation that South Africa could forfeit its hosting duties to solve the predicament of Russia’s participation.
This year’s Brics summit is expected to be a testing moment for South Africa as delegates from the bloc are expected to discuss how the grouping of emerging market countries will strengthen existing political, social and economic ties.
The preparations for the 15th summit have been overshadowed by questions about the attendance of Russian president Vladimir Putin who is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged war crimes.
South Africa is signatory to the Rome Statute and is obliged to arrest Putin if he steps foot in the country.
During the phone conversation between Ramaphosa and Xi, it’s unclear if the latter agreed to host the summit on behalf of South Africa to resolve the dilemma.
All the presidency was willing to say was that both heads of state agreed to working towards a successful summit.
The Chinese president is also said to have commended the African continent’s efforts to help reach a ceasefire between warring Russia and Ukraine.
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