Russia steps up investigation over Total CEO's death
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E-mail Xinhua, October 22, 2014
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Total's flags are seen at half mast in front of French oil major Total headquarters at La Defence buisness district, west of Paris, on October 21, 2014. The death of Total's chief executive, Christophe de Margerie, in a plane crash on Tuesday has left a void at the top of France's largest company by profits and deprived the global oil industry of one of its most influential figures. [Xinhua photo] |
Staunch advocator against sanctions on Russia
De Margerie, 63, who visited Moscow on Monday to discuss foreign investment issues, had spoken against Western sanctions imposed on Russia.
In his last public address, the energy veteran said he did not believe that Moscow could be isolated from the major global economic and political process.
"We are against sanctions in general. I have said it time and again," he told Russia's Foreign Investment Advisory Council, adding that he was speaking both on behalf of the Total and the Franco-Russian Business Council, which he co-chaired.
Russian top officials, including President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, have offered their condolences to the family and friends of de Margerie.
French President Francois Hollande, a personal friend of the businessman, said he was "stunned and saddened" by the news.
Total is by market value the fourth largest among the Western world's oil companies, after Exxon, Royal Dutch Shell and Chevron. It is also one of the top foreign investors in Russia, which accounted for about 9 percent of Total's oil and gas output in 2013.
The company's share price on the Euronext stock exchange dropped 2 percent following the reports from Vnukovo.
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