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Moscow not planning to bow out of BRICS summit in South Africa — source

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa established an interagency committee on April 28 to study issues surrounding Pretoria’s relations and interactions with the ICC

MOSCOW, May 26. /TASS/. Russia has no intention of reneging on its plans to participate in the BRICS summit scheduled for August 22-24 in South Africa, a source told TASS.

"The Russian leader has been invited. Active preparations for the summit are underway. Addressing any issues related to the ICC [International Criminal Court] and so on is the prerogative of our partners [and hosts] in South Africa. Russian President [Vladimir Putin] has not withdrawn his participation in the summit," the source said.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa established an interagency committee on April 28 to study issues surrounding Pretoria’s relations and interactions with the ICC.

On March 17, the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands, issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Children’s Rights Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova. On March 20, the Russian Investigative Committee opened a criminal case against the ICC prosecutor and judges, saying that their actions are unlawful as there were no grounds for charging Russia’s head of state and children’s rights ombudswoman with criminal liability.

Under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Crimes against Internationally Protected Persons of December 14, 1973, heads of state enjoy absolute immunity from the jurisdiction of foreign states.

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Foreign policy BRICS

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