France Signs Nuclear Pact with Algeria

On June 21 France and Algeria reportedly signed nuclear cooperation agreements.  The latest nuclear agreement strengthens a previously signed pact between the two countries in December 2007. The North African country has also entered into similar agreements with the US and Russia.

The agreement was signed during a visit to Algeria by France’s Prime Minister, Francois Fillon. In a report by BBC, Fillon described the agreement as a sign of a "transformation" in the countries’ ties.

Since 1995, Algeria has had two experimental nuclear reactors, both of which are monitored by the International Atomic Energy Agency. The latest agreement centers on the exchange of knowledge in education, research, and the possibility of opening a French-backed nuclear energy plant in Algeria.