Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder will step down from the board of Rosneft, the Russian state-controlled oil giant said Friday, following criticism about his close ties to Russia.
The company said in a statement that Mr. Schröder had declined to extend his role on the board of directors of the company. It thanked him for his “significant contribution to the company's international business.”
Germany’s ruling coalition this week stripped the former chancellor of his office in the country’s parliament because it said he no longer performed duties related to his past functions as chancellor.
Mr. Schröder, 78 years old, was nominated in February to join the board of Russian gas giant Gazprom and hasn’t said whether he would take on the job if confirmed. He was involved with the Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 pipeline projects carrying Russian gas to Germany. In February, Germany’s current chancellor, Olaf Scholz, put the Nord Stream 2 project on ice.
