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The issue was high on the agenda of today's Bratušek-Medvedev meeting after the EU said last week that the bilateral deals that Russia has signed with South Stream transit countries fell afoul of EU law.

Slovenia expects these problems will be solved and the project will be carried out, Bratušek said about the project she described as strategically important for Slovenia.

"But Slovenia is an EU member and respects EU legislation," she added, noting that the issue would be addressed at the level of member states and at the Brussels-Moscow level.

Medvedev meanwhile told reporters that Europe will receive South Stream gas within the set time frame. "Have no doubt about that," he was quoted as saying by Russian press agency Itar-Tass.

He reiterated Russia's position that the EU'e third energy package, which requires that pipeline operators let other providers use their infrastructure, is national EU law; the bilateral agreements with the transit countries are meanwhile international law, which takes precedence over national legislation.

Overall, Bratušek and Medvedev said bilateral relations were good, but they noted there was still room for improvement.

As part of efforts to bolster ties, the governments signed several agreements today, including memorandums on military cooperation, on combating the illicit drug trade, and on joint projects in tourism.

Medvedev said the political dialogue was constructive and the meeting confirmed the continuity of bilateral relations.

He highlighted tourism as one area of big potential for cooperation, as well as information technologies and pharmaceuticals.

Bratušek agreed the political dialogue had achieved a "very high level".

Commenting on the disparity of investments - Slovenia's investments in Russia totalled EUR 325m and Russia's in Slovenia about EUR 50m according to central bank data for 2012, Bratušek said there was still significant scope for Russian investments.

Defence Minister Roman Jakič, who is accompanying Bratušek in Moscow, told the STA he was very happy with today's signing of the agreement on military cooperation.

The agreement represents a legal basis for cooperation in various fields ranging from the defence industry to education and training or exchange of information.

Under the agreement, Slovenia could send a would-be military attache to study at the Russian military academy, said Jakič.