Former Foreign Minister Kneissl leaves Rosnefts supervisory board

Former Foreign Minister Kneissl leaves Rosneft’s supervisory board

The Russian oil company announced that Karin Kneissl is also stepping down from the supervisory board, after former German Chancellor Schröder also resigned.

Former Austrian foreign minister Karin Kneissl has left the supervisory board of Russian oil company Rosneft. The company announced this on Monday, according to the Reuters news agency. Kneissl, who now lives in France, wrote on Twitter that she had already informed the group in March that she would no longer be available after her one-year term ended.

Kneissl was appointed by the FPÖ as Minister of Foreign Affairs in December 2017 and remained in the post until the end of Turquoise in May 2019. His personal ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin are noted for his appearance at their 2018 wedding in Styria. .

It was announced on Friday that former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, a personal friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin, is stepping down as chairman of Rosneft’s board. He was also one of the key minds behind Germany’s controversial Nord Stream 2 pipeline, for which he pushed hard in Berlin.

Former European politicians working for Russian companies have recently come under increasing pressure to give up their mandates. In a resolution on Thursday, the EU Parliament called for sanctions against former politicians who continue to work for Russian companies. Schröder and Kneissl were also cited in the text.

(APA/Reuters)