43 countries sent joint statement to IAEA regarding situation at Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant
The joint statement calls on the Russian Federation to withdraw troops from the territory of the ZNPP.
This was announced by the mayor of Enerhodar Dmytro Orlov, Censor.NET reports.
The joint statement of August 12, 2022 about the situation at the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant was signed by representatives on behalf of Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland , Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Montenegro, the Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, the Republic of Korea, the Republic of Moldova, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey , Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the United States of America, and the European Union.
"The Russian Federation's unprovoked and unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine, a sovereign state, grossly violates international law, including the UN Charter. We strongly support the importance of the fundamental seven pillars of security and physical security in the use of nuclear energy, outlined by IAEA Director General Grossi. Russia's control over "The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant - the largest nuclear power plant in Europe - is a great danger to these principles. The placement of Russian military personnel and weapons at a nuclear facility is unacceptable and disregards the safety, physical security, and safeguards principles that all IAEA members have pledged to respect," - it says in the text.
The statement also stated that the presence of Russian troops at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant prevents the operator and the Ukrainian authorities from fulfilling their nuclear and radiation safety obligations in accordance with international conventions and IAEA safety standards and prevents the IAEA from fulfilling its safeguards mandate.
"We call on the Russian Federation to immediately withdraw its military forces and all other, as well as unauthorized personnel, from the Zaporizhia NPP, its immediate surroundings, and all of Ukraine, so that the operator and the Ukrainian authorities can resume their sovereign responsibilities within the international policy of Ukraine , recognized borders, and legitimate working personnel were able to perform their duties, without outside interference, threats or unacceptably difficult working conditions.This will also allow the IAEA to conduct verification under Ukraine's guarantees of obligations in a safe and secure manner and in a timely manner. We fully support the work of the IAEA and its Director General to assist Ukraine in the areas of nuclear security, physical security and the implementation of guarantees during the continuation of the Russian aggression war against Ukraine, respecting full Ukrainian sovereignty over its territory and infrastructure. As already stated in the Governing Council resolution GOV/2022/17, it is undeniable that Russia's invasion and its continued presence at Ukraine's nuclear facilities significantly increase the risk of nuclear incidents and accidents," the text emphasized.
The signatory countries condemn Russia's use of disinformation to try to justify its illegal actions in Ukraine and note that the international community will hold the Russian Federation accountable for its aggression, because it must bear full responsibility for its illegal actions in Ukraine.
