The head of French diplomacy, Catherine Colonna, met her South African counterpart Naledi Pandor in Pretoria on Monday.
Asked about France’s desire to be invited to the future BRICS summit at a press conference following these discussions, Catherine Colonna acknowledged that the topic was already on the table: “We didn’t talk about it today, but we talked about it on 26th May”.
“It seems to us that dialogue is always positive, even when we don’t agree 100% on everything, we need to talk to understand each other and find solutions”, Ms. Colonna explained.
“We are thinking aloud, but this is a decision that only the countries concerned can take – about the possibility of continuing this dialogue, why not at the Brics summit or in another format?”. Added Ms. Colonna.
This possible invitation from France, while surprising, is not out of the question, according to South Africa’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Naledi Pandor: “If this were to happen, it would be an innovation within the current Brics model of participation, but it could amplify the global reach of the BRICS forum”, adding that the power of invitation resides in the hands of the group’s current president, namely the South African head of state who is hosting the summit.
The two presidents will be able to discuss the issue again very soon, as Cyril Ramaphosa is due to travel to Paris at the end of the week for the summit on a new financial pact scheduled for 22nd and 23rd June.
The two politicians also discussed the African peace mission, led by four of the continent’s heads of state who visited Kyiv and Moscow last Friday and Saturday.
The minister, Catherine Colonna, described this attempt at mediation as “welcome”, believing that any peace effort is “positive if it aims to restore the principles of the United Nations Charter”, namely “the independence of States, sovereignty, the right to self-defense and territorial integrity.