Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder’s trip to Moscow has not been discussed with German authorities, this is his "personal business," First Deputy Spokesperson of the Federal Government Christiane Hoffmann said at a briefing in Berlin on Wednesday, TASS reports.
"The trip was not discussed, this is Mr. Schroeder’s personal business," she said.
Earlier, Der Spiegel citing sources reported that the ex-chancellor came to Moscow for talks on energy policy. According to them, the central issue discussed in Moscow would be Russian gas supplies via the Nord Stream pipeline. That said, the media outlet added that it was unclear with whom the former German chancellor would meet.
Schroeder’s wife, So-yeon Schroeder, confirmed that the negotiations on energy were the goal of his visit. The former chancellor himself told journalists in Moscow that he was "on vacation."
Schroeder last visited Moscow in March to discuss the situation in Ukraine with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Tuesday that a meeting between the Russian leader and the former German chancellor had not yet been scheduled but was possible. The Kremlin official specified that currently interaction between Putin and Schroeder is "less active" than before.
