SAMARKAND, December 2. /TASS/. Negotiations with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on the creation of a safety zone around the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant are continuing, Russia has indicated its position and now the ball is not on its side, Rosatom CEO Alexey Likhachev told reporters on Friday.
"Negotiations are continuing, the ball is not in our court," Likhachev said. He noted that Russia had outlined its position and awaited an answer. "Our representative in Vienna at the IAEA Mikhail Ulyanov is engaged in vigorous efforts, we all understand, but now the decision is not up to the Russian side, it’s not up to Moscow," he clarified.
The Rosatom CEO stressed that it was necessary to create a safety zone as soon as possible. "Of course, it makes sense: the sooner the better, otherwise it will just look like stalling," the Rosatom CEO said.
When answering a follow-up question on whether the Russian military would stay at the nuclear power plant if the security zone was created, Likhachev pointed out that "We always need to protect the plant, especially in these times, and we make decisions to strengthen the protection of the plant on Russian territory for obvious reasons. At the same time, since the combat zone is literally just a few kilometers away, the Zaporozhye plant needs stepped-up protection, in this sense Russia's obligations are not to deploy offensive weapons and strike forces there. And this security, of course, should be comprehensive for the safety of the plant," Likhachev noted.