The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi informed in a post on Twitter on Monday that he had expressed his gratitude to the United States for supporting the agency’s efforts in Ukraine.
Grossi, according to this post, had a comprehensive meeting on Sunday with the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
Noting that the US supports IAEA’s mission on non-proliferation, nuclear security, and nuclear applications for development, Grossi also emphasized the American support of the agency’s efforts to establish a Nuclear Safety & Security Protection Zone at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine.
During their conversation, the IAEA director general also reminded Blinken that IAEA’s safeguards inspectors will visit two nuclear locations in Ukraine that are under the agency’s safeguards.
He announced earlier that IAEA has received a written request from Kyiv to send teams to carry out verification activities in the coming days.
Previously in October, Grossi held a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin during which he highlighted the need to set up a safety and security protection zone around the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), stressing that the situation there has become increasingly dangerous, precarious and challenging due to the frequent military attacks that pose a threat to the nuclear safety and security.
Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, Zaporizhzhia, has been performing normally even though it is controlled by Russian forces since February 28.
IAEA first published a report calling for the establishment of a protection zone around the Zaporizhzhia NPP in early September, after an IAEA mission led by Grossi visited the power plant in order to prevent a nuclear disaster caused by the ongoing hostilities.
It has also intervened with Moscow in early October, when Grossi called for the release of the director-general of Zaporizhzhia NPP, Ihor Murashov, who was detained by a Russian patrol, stressing that his detention has a very significant impact on him and nuclear safety and security standards.
Be the first to comment