Germany's Schroeder Confirmed as Chair of Nord Stream 2 Director Board

Former Chancellor of Germany Gerhard Schroeder has been appointed to the top post in the second pipeline consortium Nord Stream 2 AG, the company's spokesman Jens Mueller confirmed to Sputnik on Wednesday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The appointment was made at the end of July, he added. At the same time, Schroeder lost his seat in the Nord Stream AG Shareholders' Committee.

"I can confirm the information, he is the chairman of the board of directors in Nord Stream-2," Mueller said.

"Mr. Schroeder did retain his post as a Chairman of the Shareholders’ Committee of Nord Stream AG," Aishe Malekshahi, a Nord Stream AG spokeswoman, told Sputnik.

The start of the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline is planned for 2018. It aims to deliver up to 55 billion cubic meters of natural gas from Russia to Germany annually via the Baltic Sea. Russian energy giant Gazprom has a shareholder agreement to extend the existing Nord Stream with partner European energy firms.