FILE PHOTO: Russia's President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with Speaker of the State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin and Speaker of the Federation Council Valentina Matviyenko in Moscow, Russia August 5, 2024. Sputnik/Gavriil Grigorov/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
(Reuters) - Mexico has invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to the Oct. 1 inauguration of the country's newly elected President Claudia Sheinbaum, Russia's Izvestia newspaper reported on Wednesday, citing Mexico's embassy to Russia.
"Russia's invitation to take part in the inauguration of President Sheinbaum was sent to President Putin," Izvestia cited a representative of the Mexican embassy as saying.
"The Russian President will decide whether he will participate in the ceremony himself or appoint another high-ranking official to do so on his behalf."
The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrant against Putin in 2023, accusing him of the war crime of illegally deporting hundreds of children from Ukraine after Moscow launched its full-scale invasion on its smaller neighbour in February 2022.
While Russia is not a member of the ICC, Mexico is. But the two countries have been forging close ties, with Putin congratulating Sheinbaum on her June's win, calling Mexico Russia's "historically friendly partner in Latin America."
A Russian military unit took part in September 2023 in a parade marking Mexico's independence day, spurring sharp criticism of the former President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador that his country gave a platform to forces that invaded Ukraine.
(Reporting by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Editing by Chris Reese and David Gregorio)
