An important position for those who danced with Putin

The group said in a statement on Wednesday that the former head of Austrian diplomat Karin Kneissl, who danced a waltz with Vladimir Putin in 2018, was appointed to the board of directors of Russian oil giant Rosneft.

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The decision was made Tuesday during an annual meeting of Rosneft shareholders, according to the same source.

As an independent director, Ms Kneissl joins former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, a longtime friend of Vladimir Putin, and former BP boss Robert Dudley, the statement said.

Austrian Foreign Minister between 2017 and 2019, Karin Kneissl invited Vladimir Putin in August 2018 to his wedding with businessman Wolfgang Mellinger.

Accompanied by a group of Cossacks who sang to the couple, the master of the Kremlin danced a waltz with Karin Kneissl, a scene that was much criticized by the Austrian opposition at the time.

Rosneft in mid-May announced a net profit of 149 billion rubles (1.7 billion euros at the current rate) in the first quarter of the year, confirming a recovery after a year plagued by the crisis.

In 2020, this giant generated a net profit of 147 billion rubles (1.6 billion euros at the current rate), a decrease of 79.1% compared to 705 billion in 2019, before the Covid-19 epidemic.

Nevertheless, Rosneft remains at the forefront of the global hydrocarbon landscape and at the heart of Russia’s development strategy.

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