Putin visit Kyrgyzstan first foreign visit since arrest warrant by ICC

Putin visit Kyrgyzstan first foreign visit since arrest warrant by ICC

Subject: IR

Section: International organisation

Context: Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in Kyrgyzstan on his first foreign trip since the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a warrant for his arrest for alleged war crimes.

More about the news:

• Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Kyrgyzstan, marking his first foreign trip after an ICC warrant for alleged war crimes.
• His two-day visit includes a summit of the Commonwealth of Independent States, amid concerns of declining Russian influence in the region.
• Putin emphasized Russia’s trade partnership with Kyrgyzstan and highlighted growing trade.
• Putin is also set to attend ceremonies marking the 20th anniversary of Russia’s airbase near Kant.
• The ICC had issued a warrant against Putin for alleged deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia.

Some facts about International Criminal Court (ICC):

• The International Criminal Court is a permanent court to prosecute serious international crimes committed by individuals.
• It tries crimes such as genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and aggression.
• The court was established to fight global impunity and bring to justice criminals under international law, regardless of their rank or stature.
• It is different from the United Nations’ International Court of Justice, also at The Hague.
• The Head Quarter of ICC is in The Hague, The Netherlands
• Statute :Before the ICC became functional in 2002, its founding treaty was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1998 in Rome, Italy, thereby making it the Rome Statute.

How one can become member of ICC:

• To become a member of the ICC or State party to the Rome Statute, countries have to sign the statute and ratify it under their respective legislatures.
• 123 countries are currently members of the ICC, with African countries making up the largest bloc.
• Notably, countries including India, China, Iraq, North Korea and Turkey never signed the Rome Statute.
• Others including the US, Russia, Israel and Syria signed, but never ratified

Some facts about Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS):

• The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) is an intergovernmental organization formed in 1991 by former Soviet Union nations.
• It promotes cooperation in various domains, including politics, economics, environment, humanitarian, culture, and more.
• Founding members comprise Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine, with other Soviet republics joining later after signing the Alma-Ata Protocol.
• Now, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) has the following countries as its members:
• 3 Founding members: Russia, Belarus & Ukraine
• 9 other members: Armenia, Kazakhstan, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Moldova and Kyrgyzstan.
• Headquarters of the CIS is in Minsk, Belarus
• Meetings are held periodically on a rotating basis at the CIS countries’ capitals