LJUBLJANA, Slovenia — Slovenia expects to sign a deal on Saturday ensuring its participation in the South Stream pipeline that will transport Russian gas to Europe, the economy ministry said Monday.

“The deal has been reached and the agreement is expected to be signed on Saturday,” ministry spokesman Gregor Resman said. Under the deal, which is to be signed by Slovenian Prime Minister Borut Pahor and his counterpart Vladimir Putin in Moscow, the pipeline will run through Slovenia.

It will transport gas under the Black Sea, skirting Ukraine, and is intended also to cross Bulgaria, Serbia, Hungary, Greece, Austria and Italy.

The pipeline, which is expected to become operational in 2015, will have a capacity of up to 63 billion cubic meters per year and will be built by Gazprom.