VIENNA, January 20. /TASS/. The International Atomic Energy Agency’s Director General Rafael Grossi said he would continue discussions on a proposal to set up a nuclear safety and security protection zone around the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant with Russia and Ukraine.
"I will continue my intensive consultations with both Ukraine and the Russian Federation in the coming days and weeks," the IAEA quoted Grossi as saying in a press release on Friday.
According to Grossi, everybody agrees that the Zaporozhye NPP needs to be protected, but the negotiations are very complex. "This major nuclear power plant continues to face daily dangers. Our team there continues to hear explosions close to the site, including two on Thursday," he added.
An IAEA mission led by Grossi visited the nuclear power plant in early September. After the delegation left the site, the agency’s staff remained there as observers. Later, the IAEA published a report calling for the creation of a safety zone around the plant to prevent emergencies due to hostilities.
To discuss the project, Grossi has held negotiations with Russian and Ukrainian officials. On October 11, he visited St. Petersburg for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
On December 2, 2022, the IAEA’s Grossi said, addressing the Mediterranean Dialogues international conference in Rome, that an agreement on establishing a security zone around the Zaporozhye NPP could be reached shortly.