Algeria and Argentina signed an agreement Monday to boost cooperation over civil nuclear energy as part of Argentine President Cristina Kirchner's tour of northern Africa.

The energy deal was signed by Algerian Energy and Mining Minister Chakib Khelil and Argentina's Minister for Federal Planning Julio de Vido.

Meanwhile, Kirchner met with Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika for a second day of talks. She left Algeria on Monday evening to continue the tour that will also take her to Tunisia, Egypt and Libya.

Following her meeting with Bouteflika, Kirchner said that the Algerian president had accepted her invitation to visit Argentina "before the end of next December," APS news agency reported.

Algeria signed a similar nuclear energy deal with France in June. It already has agreements with the United States, Russia, the United Arab Emirates, Libya, Tunisia and Jordan.

Kirchner also visited an Argentine-built nuclear research centre near Algiers on Monday before attending talks with around 70 businessmen in the Algerian capital.

Algeria is rich in oil and gas, but in recent years it has started looking into nuclear power as an alternative source of energy.

The former French colony completed work on two experimental nuclear reactors in 1995, both of which are monitored by the International Atomic Energy Agency.

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.

The two countries also signed Monday two other agreements to enhance cooperation in the media and health sectors.