Pandor Says Putin Visit Wasn't Part Of BRICS Meeting Agenda

South Africa's Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor said that the ongoing BRICS conference was dominated by discussions on how to empower the bloc and chief diplomats from the five member states did not discuss Russian President Vladimir Putin's arrest warrant.

• “I think this is something that we did not discuss as the BRICS Foreign Ministers, so I’m not sure that everybody has a response. I have explained previously what South Africa is doing, with respect to this,” Pandor said.
• She also noted that BRICS is not ready to admit new members as more work needs to be done on membership criteria. Several countries have expressed interest in joining the bloc, while Saudi Arabia sent a delegation to the summit to make its case.
• The bloc is discussing the potential creation of a shared currency, which would help shield members from foreign economic sanctions. While Russia was not explicitly mentioned, it remains under a tight international sanction regime.