PM Janša said at the press conference following the talks with Medvedev that he was accompanied by a strong business delegation on his visit to Russia, which additionally confirmed that the business cooperation was one of the cornerstones of the Slovenian-Russian relations.

In the past 20 years, since the countries have set up diplomatic relations, bilateral cooperation has grown into strategic partnership. "Economic cooperation is in no way the only form of cooperation," the Slovenian prime minister said, pointing to close ties in culture.

Medvedev said the Russian-Slovenian relations were in general developing very well. He particularly highlighted economic cooperation, and said that the countries were tied by long friendship, historical memory and cultural identity.

He asserted that the Russian side would continue to support future development of this cooperation.

The two sides also finally confirmed today the investment into the Slovenian part of the South Stream pipeline.

Gazprom head Alexei Miller and the head of Slovenian gas supplier Plinovodi, Marjan Eberlinc, and Plinovodi deputy head Sarah Jezernik signed a deal on the final investment decision of the stakeholders of company South Stream Slovenia, which is the final approval of the construction of the Slovenian part of South Stream.