U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney arrived here on Thursday, starting his state visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Emirates News Agency reported.

Cheney arrived in the UAE, the second leg of his Middle East tour, after a two-day surprise visit to Iraq in a new bid to press Iraqi leaders to double efforts to achieve reconciliation among rival factions.

During his visit in Iraq, Cheney met Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, Sunni and Shiite vice presidents, and other government and political leaders.

Cheney said that "we talked about a way ahead in terms of our mutual interests" and Iraq's leaders seemed to "recognize it's in their interests as well as ours to make progress on the political front."

Cheney's Middle East tour will also take him to Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan.

Source: Xinhua