MOSCOW, September 14. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres held phone talks and discussed the situation around the Zaporozhye NPP, the Kremlin said on Wednesday.
"The situation around the ZNPP was discussed, including in the context of the results of its visit on September 1 by the IAEA delegation. Vladimir Putin gave a positive assessment of constructive cooperation with the agency and reviewed the measures taken by Russia to reliably ensure the security and physical protection of ZNPP facilities," the Kremlin said.
Grain deal
Putin and Guterres discussed the grain deal, stressing the importance of giving priority to supplying food products to those countries that need them the most.
"Main attention was given to the implementation of the Istanbul package agreements on Ukrainian grain exports from the Black Sea ports and the export of Russian food and fertilizers. Both sides stressed the importance of giving priority to the needs of African, Middle Eastern and Latin American countries lacking food products," the statement reads.
The UN Secretary General provided detailed information on the efforts made by the UN Secretariat and specialized agencies to remove all obstacles to the deliveries of Russian agricultural products and fertilizers to global markets, noting his total commitment to resolving this task. "The pertinence of continued close interaction between Russia and the UN specialized structures in the interests of ensuring global food security was emphasized," the Kremlin added.
Earlier in the day, Guterres said at a press conference dedicated to the start of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly that the IAEA, Russia and Ukraine are in talks to ensure the security of the ZNPP.
Earlier this month, the plant was visited by an IAEA mission led by the organization's Director General, Rafael Grossi. Afterward, the agency published a report calling for the establishment of a safety zone around the ZNPP to prevent accidents arising from hostilities.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko said Russia is studying in detail the report on the ZNPP that was submitted by the IAEA mission, but it will take time to respond to its proposals. Putin said at the Eastern Economic Forum on September 7 that he trusted the report of the mission, but noted that the organization is under pressure from the US and Europe and can’t openly say that the shelling of the station is conducted by Ukraine.