IAEA Director General Hopes To Visit Russia And Ukraine This Week To Discuss Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant

JAKARTA - IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi hopes to visit Russia and Ukraine this week, to continue talks on the situation around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

"It will be very, very soon. We hope, even this week if we can," he told TASS correspondents on the sidelines of the 66th annual session of the IAEA General Conference, as quoted on September 28.

Commenting on the progress of negotiations on creating a security zone around nuclear facilities, the head of the international organization said: "I think we are making progress."

Previously, Grossi met with Rosatom CEO Alexey Likhachev on the sidelines of the conference, discussing plans to create a protection zone around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

The IAEA chief thought it was a "necessary step to reduce the risk of a nuclear accident."

In his address to the conference, Grossi said he was ready to continue discussions with Russia and Ukraine on the issue.

Earlier, Grossi said he held a number of meetings on the sidelines of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly, including Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss establishing a safety and security zone in the country. around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

He also met with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmygal and European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell.

In addition, the secretary general of the IAEA reported that the agency plans to expand its mission to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in the near future.

It is known, the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, located in Energodar, Ukraine, is controlled by Russian troops. It is the largest of its kind in Europe.

In early September, the nuclear facility was visited by an IAEA mission led by Grossi. After the mission left the nuclear power plant, two IAEA employees remained as observers.

Later, the IAEA published a report urging the establishment of a security zone around nuclear facilities to prevent accidents caused by military action.