The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) says the declaration of the BRICS summit as a protected event is a routine procedure and has nothing to do with Russian president Vladimir Putin.

The department declared the upcoming ministerial meeting in Cape Town on 1 to 2 June and 22 to 24 August summit in Johannesburg will be protected events.

It said the declaration was in line with the Diplomatic Immunities and Privileges Act.

This comes as the South African government navigates its legal options should Putin visit the country in August, after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a warrant of arrest for him.

The ICC issued the warrant against Putin on 18 March for war crimes related to the alleged abduction of children from Ukraine.

South Africa is a signatory to the Rome Statute of the ICC and is obliged to act on the arrest order.

Dirco spokesperson Clayson Monyela told News24 that the declaration of immunity was procedural routine and had nothing to do with the Russian president.

"That is a routine gazette we do each time we host an international conference or summit. It was gazetted today [Monday] because there is a meeting of the BRICS foreign ministers this weekend or this week in Cape Town, and we also included the summit taking place in August.

"It is normal. It is routine. It's nothing special. It has nothing to do with the Russian president. This is the gazette of immunities we gazette each time we host an international conference or summit," he said.

Nicole Fritz told News24 the notice did not override the Rome Statute and the declared diplomatic immunity had no application regarding South Africa's domestic or international ICC obligations.