US Vice President Dick Cheney plans to visit the Middle East next week, with high level meetings in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates, officials said Thursday. Cheney is to depart Tuesday for the countries, which the US hopes will be key actors in settling the Iraq conflict, according to dpa. Cheney, who last visited the region in November, is to meet with Saudi King Abdullah, Egyptian President Hosny Mubarak, Jordan's King Abdullah II - who met with US President George W Bush in February at the White House, and UAE President Sheikh Khalifa. Cheney is expected to hold "discussions with the leaders ... on key issues of mutual interest," a White House statement said. During the November trip, the vice president appealed to a reluctant Saudi King Abdullah to support American attempts to stem surging violence in Iraq. Foreign ministers from the region and around the world are meeting this week in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, in an attempt to address Iraq's future. Deadly conflict between Sunni and Shiite militias has made economic redevelopment of the country nearly impossible. Cheney is also to meet with US military commanders and speak with US troops stationed in the Persian Gulf region. It was not clear if he would visit Iraq. -- SPA
