Nov. 27 (Bloomberg) -- Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said Electricite de France SA will join OAO Gazprom’s South Stream pipeline project.

“The final touches have been made to the agreement between EDF and Gazprom on the French company joining this major international transportation project,” Putin said during a meeting of a bilateral trade commission near Paris today.

Putin said the agreement covers “work on French territory and in other countries” and is “practically an asset swap.”

The agreement is expected to be signed later today.

To contact the reporter on this story: Lyubov Pronina in Paris at lpronina@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: November 27, 2009 06:25 EST