Biden meets Iraqi president to push for new gov't
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U.S. Vice President Joe Biden met Monday with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani as he exerted efforts to push for the formation of new Iraqi government.
"The President Jalal Talabani met with the visiting U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, and the two discussed means to enhance bilateral ties between the two countries along with the forming of the next government," the state-run television of Iraqia reported.
The official channel said that Biden also held talks with Shiite leader Ammar al-Hakim, head of the Shiite religious bloc of Iraq National Alliance (INA).
Biden is in Baghdad on the final day of his surprise visit which aims at persuading Iraqi leaders to end the political deadlock over forming a new government after four months of the country's parliamentary elections.
After his arrival on Saturday, Biden has held separate talks with Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and his rival former Prime Minister Ayad Allawi, during which he stressed his country's support for democracy in Iraq.
Earlier in the day, a statement issued by Maliki's office, after his meeting with Biden, said that Maliki confirmed that talks among Iraqi political blocs are underway and he expected they would agree on the distribution of main government posts before the date of the next parliamentary session due to be held on July 14.
Maliki's statement also stressed on the "significance of all Iraqi parties participating in the new government."
Government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said during the two-hour meeting with Maliki, Biden expressed his country's concern about the delay of forming the new government.
Late on Sunday, a statement by Allawi's Iraqia List obtained by Xinhua said that "Allawi reviewed with Biden the talks carried out by the Iraqia bloc with the other political blocs, stressing the right of the list as the vote-winner to form the next government according to the constitution."
Nearly four months after Iraq held its landmark parliamentary elections, Iraqi political leaders are still wrangling over who will head the next government, leaving the formation of the new government in a deadlock.
