Moscow welcomes IAEA trip to Zaporizhia NPP, Russian diplomat tells state media
Russia’s International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Governor Mikhail Ulyanov attends the IAEA Board of Governors meeting at the IAEA headquarters in Vienna, Austria, on March 7. (Photo: Askin Kiyagan/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
Moscow welcomes the planned trip by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant in southeastern Ukraine, occupied by Russian forces, a Russian diplomat said according to state media.
Russia’s permanent representative to international organizations in Vienna, Mikhail Ulyanov, said Russia understands that the IAEA will leave several representatives at the plant permanently, state media RIA Novosti reported.
“As far as we understand, the general director’s intention is to leave several people at the plant permanently,” Ulianov was quoted as saying by RIA.
Ulyanov added that the mission is made up “of a dozen employees of the agency’s secretariat dealing with nuclear safeguards and safety issues,” as well as a large team of UN staff dealing with logistics and security, RIA reported.
“Russia has contributed significantly to the preparation of this mission. We hope that the visit of the plant by the IAEA mission will dispel numerous speculations regarding the unfavorable state of the Zaporizhia NPP,” Ulyanov added.
What happen? Earlier this Monday, IAEA chief Rafael Mariano Grossi tweeted that the delegation would arrive in Zaporizhia — home to Europe’s largest nuclear facility — “at the end of this week.”
The Kremlin said on Monday that the IAEA mission will enter the Zaporizhia nuclear plant from the Ukrainian side, but Russia will guarantee its security in the territory occupied by the Russian army.
As far as the territory controlled by Russia is concerned, security will be provided there at the appropriate level required,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in a regular conference call.
“[La misión] will enter the territory [de la central nuclear] from the area controlled by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. There, security will be provided by the Ukrainians,” Peskov added.
Asked regarding the possibility of creating a demilitarized zone around the plant, Peskov said it was “not in the discussion.”
Peskov added that Russia welcomes the long-awaited IAEA mission.
“We have been waiting for this mission for a long time. We consider it necessary,” Peskov said.
