BUENOS AIRES, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- Argentina and Algeria on Monday signed four cooperation agreements on nuclear energy for civil use, public health, information exchange and cultural promotion.

    Visiting Argentine President Cristina Fernandez and her Algerian counterpart Abdelaziz Buteflika attended the signing ceremony of the deals in the Algerian capital Algiers on Monday, reports reaching here said.

    "We have signed many cooperation agreements, but what is more important is that Buteflika and I have decided to broaden our relations and reinforce our cooperation in all fields, mainly in those we have not singed agreements yet," said Fernandez.

    Describing her meeting with Buteflika Monday as "excellent", Fernandez said they reviewed "all possible sectors of cooperation, where we are going to move forward, in the fields of nuclear energy, agriculture and technology transfer."

    Algerian Energy Minister Chakib Khelil and Argentine director of Federal Planning and Public Investment Julio de Vido signed the deal on the use and development of nuclear energy for civil use.

    Negotiations over the two countries' nuclear energy cooperation began in the 1980s and led to the construction by Argentina of a reactor for the nuclear investigation center of Draria, near Algiers.

    Khelil said Algeria also expects to sign similar nuclear cooperation agreements with China, Russia and South Africa.

    Apart from the civilian nuclear energy deal, the two sides also signed cooperation deals on public sanitation, medical science and experience-sharing between the Algerian news agency APS and Argentina's state news agency Telam.

    Fernandez arrived in Algeria Sunday for a visit, the first in 24 years by an Argentine president to Algeria. Fernandez later was to travel to Tunisia, Egypt and Libya.