IAEA head expected to visit Russia in early March - Likhachev

MOSCOW. Feb 26 (Interfax) - Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), is expected to visit Russia in early March, Rosatom head Alexei Likhachev said.

"The visit will take place. We hope in early March," Likhachev told Interfax on Monday.

Grossi was earlier expected to visit Russia in late February.

Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said on February 15 that a meeting with the head of the IAEA was not on Russian President Vladimir Putin's schedule at that moment.

Grossi visited the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) once again on February 7. He said he assessed observance of the five principles of ensuring the plant's protection, the state of the reactors' cooling system, and the number of personnel during the visit. The 16th team of IAEA experts accompanied the IAEA general director on the visit to the plant. IAEA experts have been present at the Zaporozhye NPP since September 1, 2022 following Grossi's first visit to the plant.