Macron would be inappropriate guest at BRICS summit, says Russia

[June 22, 2023]  MOSCOW (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron would be an inappropriate guest at the BRICS summit, the RIA news agency quoted Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov as saying on Thursday, criticising countries whose policies Russia considers hostile. 

French President Emmanuel Macron delivers a closing speech during the conference on European air and missile defence, attended by EU defence ministers, on the sidelines of the International Paris Air Show, at the Hotel des Invalides in Paris, France, June 19, 2023. REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq/Pool/File Photo

The BRICS group of emerging economies, comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, is due to hold a summit in Johannesburg in August.

Asked about Macron's reported desire to attend the summit, Ryabkov said: "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 currently mulling its legal options if Russian President Vladimir Putin decides to attend the BRICS summit because the International Criminal Court (ICC) in March issued an arrest warrant for Putin over the Ukraine conflict.

South Africa is an ICC member and would theoretically be required to arrest him if he attends the BRICS summit.

(Reporting by Reuters; Writing by Alexander Marrow; Editing by Toby Chopra and Gareth Jones)

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