South Korea and Algeria to seek petrochemical cooperation

South Korea and Algeria seek to expand economic cooperation in the areas of petrochemical plant construction and military hardware. Algeria, which has 123 million tons of oil reserves, may help South Korean companies gain an important base of operations in North Africa.After a successful summit between their leaders in March 2006, the two countries have moved toward a "strategic partnership" that aims to help Algiers industrialize its economy and attract foreign investment.