The government of Cape Verde has contracted a US$12 million dollar loan from the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development to build and repair hospital infrastructure, Cape Verdean radio reported on Monday.

The contract was signed on Sunday by Cape Verdean Foreign Minister Jorge Borges, who is in Kuwait to take part in the third Afro-Arab Summit on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Before the summit, which will be attended by Cape Verdean President Jorge Carlos Fonseca, Borges took part in the ministerial meeting which endorsed actions to submit to the heads of state.

“The Arab countries made a decision to reinforce all funds by 50 percent, increasing capacity for investment in Africa,” Borges said, adding that more dynamic mechanisms had been created, enabling more coordinated use of available funds.

This year’s meeting will be devoted to Arab and African economic cooperation and sustainable development, along with means and mechanisms to find solutions that can be applied to Africa’s major problems, such as migration and “terrorism” in countries such as Kenya, Mali, Somalia, Niger and Nigeria.

The summit will result in the Kuwait Declaration, a report on main joint activities of the African Union Commission and the Arab League Secretariat, and proposed measures to enhance institutional capabilities to apply the 2011-2016 Afro-Arab work plan. (macauhub)