U.S. VP Cheney met Iraqi PM during surprise visit

U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney met with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and other Iraqi officials on Wednesday during his surprise visit to Baghdad.

Following his meeting with the Iraqi Prime Minister, Cheney told reporters that "we talked about a way ahead in terms of our mutual interests."

Al-Maliki said in a brief statement that "the meeting with the vice president paved a foundation for practical steps to support our efforts working on both the security front as well as the domestic political issues."

Cheney also met with Iraq's president Jalal Talabani, Sunni and Shiite vice presidents, and other government and political leaders.

Earlier Wednesday, after Cheney arrived in Baghdad on an unannounced visit, he had a brief talk with the top U.S. commander in Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus, and the new U.S. ambassador to Iraq, Ryan Crocker, to learn the latest developments in Iraq.

Media reports said that Cheney's visit aimed at pressing reconciliation efforts among the Iraqi rival factions.

Source: Xinhua