South Africa Did Not Invite Macron to Attend BRICS Summit

  The South African President stated that French President Emmanuel Macron was not invited to the BRICS high-level meeting which was held in his country. The BRICS Summit, with the participation of China, India, Brazil and South Africa, will be held from August 22 to 24 in Johannesburg, the capital of South Africa, and Russia will also participate in this summit. A French newspaper last June citing sources at the Elysee Palace revealed that French President Emmanuel Macron had asked the South African president to invite him to attend the BRICS summit.

A little later, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna also confirmed that the country's president wanted to participate in the BRICS meeting as an observer. South African Minister of Cooperation and International Relations, Naledi Pandor said Monday (7/8/2023) that French President Emmanuel Macron's name was not on the list of invitees to attend the BRICS Summit. "South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has invited 67 heads of state from Africa and other continents to participate in the BRICS meeting," Pandor said. "The President of South Africa also met with 20 officials, including the Secretary General of the United Nations, President of the African Union Commission, President of the New Development Bank, heads and executive directors of African regional institutions. economic community, financial institutions and the Secretary General of the Secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade Zone and the CEO of the African Union Development Agency to attend the BRICS," he stressed. The senior South African diplomat pointed out that as many as 34 countries have confirmed their participation in the BRICS meeting.

"23 countries have officially expressed their interest in joining the BRICS," said Pandor. The French president's proposal to participate in the BRICS met with a negative reaction from members of this group. Naledi Pandour, called this idea a deviation from BRICS procedures, and Moscow also announced that Paris' hostile policy towards Russia made France's participation in this summit inappropriate.(PH)