MOSCOW, March 24. /TASS/. It is up to the Iranian authorities to make decisions about the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) access to the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia’s permanent representative to international organizations in Vienna, said at a briefing.
"First, there needs to be an invitation from Iran. It seems Iran has not been much impressed with what is going on in Ukraine. There is no use in following our path. It’s up to the Iranian authorities. They have the sovereign right to make decisions on these matters," he pointed out in response to a question about the possibility of IAEA experts gaining access to the power plant.
Ulyanov warned against comparing the situations around the Zaporozhye and Bushehr nuclear power plants. "The situation at our Zaporozhye station is slightly different. After all, the presence of IAEA experts must have made Ukrainians stop shelling attacks on the facility. However, these experts are also working quite a lot in close cooperation with the Russian power station’s authorities. I’m not sure that it would be right to copy what is happening in other places. All these processes are justified at the Zaporozhye station. As for the Bushehr site, Iranians need to make their own decisions," the diplomat added.