The United States is willing to work closely with the United Nations on the Iraqi reconstruction, and expects Iraq to draw up a constitution and hold the general election at an early date, said US Vice President Dick Cheney Thursday in Shanghai.

Cheney made the remarks when asked to comment on the UN's role in the Iraqi reconstruction in his speech to the faculty and students of the prestigious Fudan University here Thursday morning.

He said Lakhdar Brahimi, the Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, has already arrived in Iraq, and is keeping extensive contacts with the coalition forces and the Iraqi representatives on establishing an interim government which will take over the political power as from June 30.

Cheney said the interim government will be responsible for governing the state till Iraq holds the general election next year.

He said Brahimi has actively participated in the work of makingup plans for the interim government as the UN representative. The United States expects the UN to play an advisory and guiding role in the Iraqi reconstruction work.

Source: Xinhua