A decision on the safety of Zaporizhzhya NPP can be reached by the end of this year. Both sides now agree on some principles.

 This was announced by IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi in an interview with the Italian publication La Repubblica.

 According to him, "important progress" was achieved in discussing the safety of the nuclear plant.

 "Both sides have now agreed on some fundamental principles. The first is protection: it means agreeing that you don't shoot from the station or into the station. The second is the recognition that the IAEA represents the only possible path," Grossi said.

 In his turn, the head of the IAEA agreed with the demand of the Ukrainian side that the Russians remove weapons from the nuclear power plant.

 "The removal of weapons from the station is what the Ukrainians demand, and their point of view is clear. And this would be part of the general agreement in any case," Grossi said.

 According to him, the Russian side is allegedly "not against the agreement and the principle of protecting the nuclear power plant" and "is not asking for anything in return."

 "My commitment is to reach a decision as soon as possible. I hope it will happen before the end of the year," Grossi announced.

 The head of the IAEA also added that he may meet with the head of the Kremlin Volodymyr Putin and the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskiy in the near future.