Russian flag-carrier Aeroflot said on Thursday it had signed a code-sharing agreement with Alitalia on flights between Moscow and Milan.

Aeroflot said in a statement the agreement would come into effect on June 1 and would cover four Moscow-Milan flights and three Milan-Moscow flights each week.

Initially the agreement enables each airline to allot the other carrier a block of 125 economy class and 16 business class seats each week, but it envisages eventually switching to unrestricted sales of each other's tickets.

Aeroflot said the agreement took it a step closer to joining the Sky Team alliance, which includes Air France, Delta and Korean Air as well as Alitalia. Aeroflot hopes to become a member early next year.