German Economy Minister Philipp Roesler, also the German vice chancellor and leader of the junior coalition government member the Free Democratic Party, went to Russia on May 31 for a one-day visit. During his trip, Roesler was scheduled to meet with Russian Economic Development Minister Elvira Nabiullina and Minister of Trade and Industry Viktor Khristenko. Roesler's visit, his first international trip since becoming vice chancellor in early May, concentrated on talks over increasing Russian supplies of natural gas to Germany due to the German government's May 30 announcement that it would phase out nuclear power by 2022. Berlin’s decision to phase out nuclear power is a boon for natural gas-exporting Russia, especially with the first phase of the 55 billion cubic meter (bcm) Nord Stream pipeline coming online by the end of 2011 and second by the end of 2012.