The United Nations has the opportunity to support a visit by inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency to Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant if Russia and Ukraine agree, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said on Monday, Reuters reports.
“The UN Secretariat does not have the authority to block or cancel any activity of the International Energy Agency,” Dujarric added.
Dujarric was responding to Russian accusations that the UN had blocked a visit by IAEA inspectors to Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, which Russia seized in March after invading Ukraine on February 24.
Dujarric stated that “in close contact with the IAEA, the UN Secretariat has assessed that it has the logistical and security potential in Ukraine to be able to support any International Energy Agency mission at the Zaporizhia NPP.”
But he specified that both Russia and Ukraine must come to an agreement. Both countries said they wanted IAEA inspectors to visit.
Read also:
- Can Zaporizhia be the Fukushima of Europe? “Now a nuclear disaster has been averted by a miracle, but miracles don’t last forever”
Russia and Ukraine should have cooperated
The head of the IAEA, Raphael Grossi, declared his readiness to lead the mission and called on Russia and Ukraine to cooperate.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday called for an end to military activity around the Zaporizhia nuclear complex, as Moscow and Kyiv accuse each other of shelling the area.
On Monday, Guterres spoke with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu about the conditions for a safe operation in Zaporizhzhia, the UN and Russia said.
Follow the latest events of the 173rd day of the war in Ukraine LIVETEXT on HOTNEWS.RO.
Source: Hot News RO
Robert is an experienced journalist who has been covering the automobile industry for over a decade. He has a deep understanding of the latest technologies and trends in the industry and is known for his thorough and in-depth reporting.