The French energy giant, Electricite de France (EDF), has agreed to participate in the Russian South Stream gas line project.

The information was announced by the Russian Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin, Friday.

The agreement is considered another big victory for Putin who had an intense, but very successful trip to France.

The gas line is to be completed by 2015. With it Russia aims at eliminating dependence from transit countries. The other project – Nabucco is backed-up by the EU and largely seen as a rival to South Stream.

Putin is quoted as describing the reached agreement as a "brand new cooperation, almost an asset swap."

Earlier in November, Russia signed an agreement with Slovenia about the South Stream project.

In addition to the gas line agreement, Putin managed to score big on other deals such as securing investments to salvage the “Avtogaz” company, maker of the Russian “Lada” automobiles and a promise from France it would consider selling Russia a military ship.

In the meantime, Georgia and the Baltic Republics expressed their alarm over the, as they call it, unprecedented military deal between Russia and a NATO member.

French Foreign Minister, Francois Fillon, however, stated he respected Georgia's position, but France wishes for a common economic and social space with Russia and confirmed Paris is considering selling the “Mistral” ship to Russia.

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