Signing agreement on Zaporozhye NPP safety not yet possible, says IAEA chief

World June 15, 2023, 19:37

Rafael Grossi pointed out that the IAEA was not a military police force, but the agency could record any violations and inform the international community through the presence of inspectors at the plant

ENERGODAR, June 15. /TASS/. Signing a written agreement on ensuring the safety of the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) is impossible at the moment because there is no peace between the parties, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi said.

"We have a political agreement which was formulated at the [UN] Security Council. Reaching a written agreement would be unrealistic at this stage because, as we know, there are no peace or ceasefire negotiations between the parties," he said at a briefing following his visit to the plant.

Grossi pointed out that the IAEA is not a military police force, but the agency can record any violations and inform the international community through the presence of inspectors at the plant.

He also stressed that his proposals were supported by the UN Security Council. According to the IAEA chief, he wants the world to be "aware of the danger" that there could be a "major accident".

Earlier, Grossi proposed five principles of security of the Zaporozhye NPP to the UN Security Council: not to allow attacks on the power plant or its territory, not to deploy heavy weapons and forces that could be used for an offensive there, not to endanger the power plant’s own power supply, to ensure protection of all structures and systems that safe operation of the power plant depend on, and not to take any actions that would undermine these principles. Russian Permanent Representative to the UN Vasily Nebenzya stated that Russia has already taken measures in accordance with Grossi’s proposals.

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