May 20 (Reuters) - Russia's state-owned oil company Rosneft said on Friday that former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and German businessman Matthias Warnig had informed it they could not continue serving on the board of directors.

"We are sympathetic to their decisions and thank them for their continued support," Rosneft said in the statement.

The European Parliament urged on Thursday that Schroeder be blacklisted if he does not quit the board of Rosneft in a move also meant to dissuade him from taking a top job at Gazprom .

(Reporting by Reuters)