IAEA chief meets head of Rosatom nuclear power company in Moscow

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) director general on Thursday met with the head of Russia's Rosatom State Nuclear Energy Corporation.

In a statement, Rosatom said that Alexey Likhachev had a "substantive, useful and frank" discussion with IAEA's Rafael Grossi.

The statement noted that representatives from the defense and foreign ministries, nuclear watchdog Rostekhnadzor, and the military also attended the meeting.

"During the meeting, approaches to the creation of a nuclear security protection zone at the Zaporizhzhia NPP (nuclear power plant) were discussed. A significant similarity of positions on the draft declaration on the creation of such a zone was noted. Negotiations will continue with the understanding of the need to reach a mutually acceptable text as soon as possible," it added.

Zaporizhzhia, Europe's largest and one of the world's 10 biggest nuclear power plants, has been under Russian control since March, soon after the start of the Ukraine war.

Fears of a nuclear catastrophe persist amid reports of shelling around the area.