ALGIERS (AFP) — Argentina President Cristina Kirchner held talks with her Algerian counterpart Sunday during a two-day visit aimed at bolstering trade and which is part of a tour of northern Africa.
Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika welcomed Kirchner when she arrived in the late morning before the face-to-face talks that preceded discussions between the two country's delegations.
The Argentine leader will later visit Tunisia, Egypt and Libya.
In the midst of the financial crisis, Kirchner's tour is aimed at "reinforcing the south-south relationship between the two developing countries that will play a key role in future business and financial exchanges," Argentine Foreign Minister Jorge Taiana said recently.
Buenos Aires hopes to continue civil nuclear cooperation with Algeria, said Bibiana Jones, Argentina's ambassador to Algeria.
Argentina built a nuclear research centre near Algiers in 1984, but a final agreement remains to be completed, she said.
Some 70 Argentine business people will also attend talks in the Algerian capital, which are being called "financial week".
They are expected to focus on the agricultural sector and medicine, among a range of other areas, an Argentine source said.
Argentina's exports to Algeria have been valued at nearly 900 million dollars (800 million euros) so far this year, compared to 765 million dollars in 2007. Algerian exports to Argentina were worth 95 million dollars in 2007.
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