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epa02996291 In an symbolic act former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder (L-R), French Prime Minister Francois Fillon, E.ON chairman Johannes Teyssen, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, Gazprom manager Alexei Miller, EU-commissioner for energy, Guenter Oettinger, BASF-chairman Kurt Bock, Prime Minister of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Erwin Sellering, CEO of the Russian-European consortium Nord Stream Matthias Warnig and CEO of Nederlandse Gasunie Paul van Gelder open the Baltic Sea pipeline Nord Stream in Lubmin, Germany, 08 November 2011. The Baltic Sea pipeline of the Russian-European consortium Nord Stream directly connects Germany and Western Europe to one of the wolrd's largest natural gas fields. EPA/STEFAN SAUER