VIENNA (AP) 鈥 The U.N. atomic watchdog agency's director said that he's due to depart for a trip to Moscow on Tuesday for high-level talks with Russian officials to discuss the issue of nuclear safety in Ukraine.
International Atomic Energy Agency Director-General made the announcement on Monday, the first day of a regular meeting of the agency's 35-nation board of governors in Vienna. There was no immediate confirmation of the trip from the Kremlin.
鈥淭he situation continues to be very fragile,鈥 Grossi told reporters, referring to the located in southeastern Ukraine.
The safety of the nuclear plant, which is Europe's largest, is 鈥渙f tremendous importance in terms of international peace and security,鈥 he said.
Grossi said that it was 鈥渢he intention鈥 that he will meet personally with Russian President during his upcoming trip, but added that he would expect Moscow as the host of the talks to officially confirm it.
Grossi last met with Putin in October 2022.
Grossi visited Ukraine , and crossed the front line to visit the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in person as part of the IAEA鈥檚 efforts to prevent a nuclear disaster amid an ongoing war. He also held a meeting with Ukrainian President .
He told reporters in Vienna that he considered it important to maintain a dialogue with both sides.
Grossi said that he expected to discuss 鈥渢echnical issues鈥 related to 鈥渢he future operational status of the plant鈥 in Moscow. He also said that if the six-unit Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which is currently in cold shutdown, is to be restarted, he would need to discuss 鈥渨hat kind of safety evaluation鈥 will be made. He also said that he needs to speak about the issue of the external power supply lines, since what the IAEA currently sees is 鈥渇ragile and thin.鈥
The IAEA has repeatedly expressed alarm about the Zaporizhzhia facility amid fears of a potential nuclear catastrophe. The plant has repeatedly been caught in the crossfire since Russia launched its on Feb. 24, 2022, and seized the facility shortly after.
The plant鈥檚 six reactors have been shut down for months, but it still needs power and qualified staff to operate crucial cooling systems and other safety features.
The plant suffered eight losses of off-site power since the start of the war, forcing it to temporarily rely on emergency diesel generators, while continuing to face challenges related to staffing.
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