---
title: "Putin to stay away from BRICS Summit in Joburg, will send Lavrov instead"
description: "After weeks of speculation and backroom negotiations, it has been announced — Russia will be represented by foreign minister Sergey Lavrov, not president Vladimir Putin, at the BRICS summit in Johannesburg in August."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "RAMAPHOSA QUANDARY"
author: "Queenin Masuabi"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/queenin-masuabi/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2023-07-19-russian-president-putin-skips-brics-in-south-africa/"
published: "2023-07-19T14:02:34"
updated: "2023-07-19T14:14:45"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 231
---

# Putin to stay away from BRICS Summit in Joburg, will send Lavrov instead

> After weeks of speculation and backroom negotiations, it has been announced — Russia will be represented by foreign minister Sergey Lavrov, not president Vladimir Putin, at the BRICS summit in Johannesburg in August.

By Queenin Masuabi · Published 19 July 2023, 16:02 SAST · Updated 19 July 2023, 16:14 SAST

## Key points
- After weeks of consultations, President Ramaphosa has confirmed that the BRICS Summit will go ahead without the attendance of Russian President Vladimir Putin, but with the presence of leaders from Brazil, India, China and South Africa.
- Russian Federation president Vladimir Putin will not attend the BRICS summit, to be represented by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov
- Summit will be attended by leaders of other member countries: Brazil, India, China and South Africa
- Weeks of consultations led to this announcement
- President Ramaphosa confident of summit's success

## Content

The Cyril Ramaphosa Presidency has formally announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin will not be attending the [BRICS](http://infobrics.org/) Summit.

In a statement issued on Wednesday morning, Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said the Russian Federation would be represented by its foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov.

“By mutual agreement, President Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation will not attend the summit but the Russian Federation will be represented by Foreign Minister Mr Sergey Lavrov,” it read.

“In due course, a comprehensive statement on the substantive issues to be covered at the summit and other related foreign policy matters will be issued.”

**Read more in Daily Maverick:**[Pretoria’s Putin puzzle — South Africa once again on the horns of an ICC dilemma](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2023-05-05-pretorias-putin-puzzle-south-africa-once-again-on-the-horns-of-an-icc-dilemma/)

This announcement comes after weeks of consultations about the summit. The President’s most recent consultation in this regard took place last night, Tuesday, 18 July 2023, at the BRICS Political Party Dialogue in Gauteng.

**Read more in Daily Maverick:**[Arresting Putin risks engaging in war with Russia, President Ramaphosa warns on national security](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2023-07-18-arresting-putin-risks-engaging-in-war-with-russia-president-ramaphosa-warns-on-national-security/)

The summit will be attended by the leaders of other member countries – Brazil, India, China and South Africa.

“President Ramaphosa is confident that the summit will be a success and calls on the nation to extend the necessary hospitality to the many delegates who will arrive from various parts of the continent and the globe,” the statement reads. **DM**