"We still believe that the intergovernmental agreement with Russia is not incompatible with EU law, even if the assessment of the European Commission is different," Erjavec told the press on the sidelines of a ministerial meeting in Brussels.

Asked why Slovenia, along with five other EU members who signed bilateral South Stream agreements, authorised the Commission to negotiate the issue with Russia on their behalf, Erjavec said that this was a field covered by the infrastructure and spatial planning minister.

Erjavec personally sees authorising the Commission as the most practical solution, since each country conducting separate negotiations would be too complicated.

He added that announcements by Energy Commissioner Günther Oettinger regarding the progress of the talks was reason to conclude that "there is a chance of implementing the South Stream in a way compliant with EU law".

Erjavec personally believes that "given that it was possible to align the Nord Stream with EU law, this is also possible for the South Stream". "This is about political will," he said.