Ukraine – Telephone conversation between Catherine Colonna and her Russian counterpart (August 23, 2022)

This morning, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna had a telephone conversation with her Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov.

This call, which took place following the French president’s recent conversations with the President of Ukraine (August 17) and the President of the Russian Federation (August 19), covered the procedure for sending an IAEA expert mission to the Zaporizhzya Nuclear Power Plant.

The minister emphasized the nuclear safety and security risks associated with the Russian armed forces’ occupation of the site. She shared that France supports the rapid deployment of an IAEA expert mission, in accordance with the recommendations made by the IAEA Director General and with full respect for Ukrainian sovereignty. She noted Russia’s confirmation of its agreement in principle on this point as well as its commitment to refrain from taking any action that is likely to endanger the security of this mission.

Moreover, the minister recalled France’s determination to continue providing support to Ukraine, faced with the illegal, unjustifiable Russian aggression.