Russian diplomat says Macron would be BRICS inappropriate guest, citing France’s hostile policy

A Russian Foreign Ministry diplomat says French President Emmanuel Macron would be an inappropriate guest at a summit of the BRICS group of countries, which is due in Johannesburg in August, citing France's "hostile and unacceptable policy" towards his country.

Foreign Affairs Minister Catherine Colonna said that Macron could take part in the BRICS summit in South Africa, adding that the decision to invite the president "must be taken, not by France, but by the BRICS and first and foremost by South Africa, which is the host of the summit."

The BRICS group of emerging economies comprises Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov on Thursday criticized countries that a hostile and unacceptable policy towards us, saying that "leaders of states that pursue such a hostile and unacceptable policy towards us" should not be welcomed at the summit in Johannesburg.

He said leaders who are "discussing with such emphasis and conviction that Russia should be isolated on the international stage, and share the common NATO line on inflicting a so-called strategic defeat on us - such a leader is an inappropriate BRICS guest."

"And we are not hiding this approach of ours, we have told our colleagues from South Africa. We expect that our point of view will be fully accepted," Ryabkov added.

SS