MOSCOW, August 10. /TASS/. Kiev should not create artificial obstacles to the IAEA mission to the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant (NPP) and the Ukrainian side should "display its ability to cooperate" Russian Permanent Representative to International Organizations in Vienna Mikhail Ulyanov said in a phone conversation with a TASS correspondent on Wednesday.

"In order for the visit to the Zaporozhye NPP to happen, proper ability to cooperate is needed on the Ukrainian part. Kiev should not create artificial obstacles and difficulties for the agency in organizing such a visit," the envoy said.

The Russian diplomat noted that the Russian side and the agency’s Secretariat have been successfully resolving complex logistics issues in organizing the mission, yet the UN decided at the last moment that it won’t take place. "The IAEA is an independent organization yet there is one aspect where all international organizations in the UN system comply with the New York headquarters. These are the security issues of travel by delegations and high-ranking officials from various international organizations, including the IAEA," he explained, specifying that in this case the mission "did not get the green light."

The Russian side proceeds from the premise that this won’t happen again and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres realizes the level of his responsibility. "We are hoping that there will be no such obstacles anymore but, naturally, the Ukrainian side should ensure and guarantee the absence of threats to lives and safety of international officials who will go to the NPP," the envoy added, expressing hope that the UN Security Council will support the mission during its emergency session which will convene on August 11 on Russia’s initiative.

On June 3, the Russian side and the leadership of the IAEA Secretariat fully coordinated the route and the timetable of the agency’s international mission of experts to the Zaporozhye NPP led by the agency’s Director General Rafael Grossi. The Russian Foreign Ministry noted that the trip was undermined at the last minute by the Department for Safety and Security of the UN Secretariat.

The Zaporozhye nuclear plant is the largest one in Europe. The facility used to produce one-quarter of all of Ukraine’s electricity. Its total capacity is about 6,000 Megawatts, and it includes six reactors. Right now, the plant operates at 70% of its full capacity, due to the overproduction of power in the Zaporozhye Region. In the future, it is supposed to supply power to Crimea.