The UAE is funding many projects in Africa to stimulate economic growth and attract investment through building regional and international partnerships as part of its development and relief aid programme, UAE Minister of Reem bint Ibrahim Al Hashimy has said. Addressing yesterday the preparatory meeting of the joint ministerial council for the 3rd Afro-Arab summit which Kuwait is hosting from 19th to 20th November, Al Hashimy said the summit represents an important, qualitative turning point in the path of the Afro-Arab economic cooperation and integration. Al Hashimy, who is leading the UAE's delegation to the summit, called for maximising efforts to leverage bilateral relations to joint partnership in various areas. She added that the two groups need to mobilise their huge combine energies and financial and human capital to deliver their aspired goals through implementation of the agreed joint strategic partnership and action plan 2011-2016.. 'Affective mechanisms should be created to remove all obstacles hindering the implementation of this partnership,' she stressed. She said that the UAE hosted the 5th Africa Global Business Forum 2013 - Dubai-COMESA: Bridging the Continent to the World - on May 1-2 in Dubai and noted the growing trade and investment exchange between Africa and the Arab World. The two-day summit is expected to issue the Kuwait Declaration and special statement on Palestine.