Russian state nuclear energy company Rosatom said on Thursday that talks with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi about a safe zone around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant would continue.

In a statement, Rosatom said the two sides' positions on the creation of such a safe zone were "close" to each other.

"Consultations will continue with the understanding of the need to reach a mutually acceptable text as soon as possible," Rosatom said, calling the talks with the IAEA delegation "substantive, useful and frank."

"It's key that the zone focuses solely on preventing a nuclear accident. I am continuing my efforts towards this goal with a sense of utmost urgency," Grossi tweeted after meeting Rosatom's Director General Alexei Likhachev in Moscow.