Fuel suppliers should not be divided into good and bad - IAEA director general on Russian nuclear industry

BRUSSELS. March 21 (Interfax) - Nuclear energy should not be divided into good and bad, and Russian fuel may be needed in some long-term projects, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi said on Thursday.

"Now, I warn again against this point of having good nuclear against bad nuclear. I don't think this is conducive to what we need to have in the global energy market," Grossi told a press conference in Brussels when asked to comment on the U.S. and the EU wanting to reduce their reliance on Russian nuclear fuel and possibly impose sanctions on the Russian nuclear industry.

"This is not about using nuclear energy as a political pawn, but rather [about] looking at the necessities and needs of countries. There are certain long-term infrastructure projects, where you may have Russian fuel," he said.

The U.S. ban on imports of Russian enriched uranium could come into force as early as this year, the Financial Times reported in February, citing U.S. nuclear industry representatives.

Some Western countries have occasionally called for sanctions against the Russian nuclear industry.