WASHINGTON, Jan. 13 (Xinhuanet) -- U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney is scheduled to visit Egypt and Saudi Arabia next week, the White House announced on Friday.

    Cheney will meet with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia on January 17, the White House said in a statement.

    The visits were originally scheduled as part of Cheney's trip to the region in December, which had brought him to Iraq, Pakistan,Afghanistan and Oman. But Cheney had to cancel stops in Egypt and Saudi Arabia in order to return home to cast a tie-breaking vote in the U.S. Senate on a legislation to cut federal deficits over five years.

    Under the U.S Constitution, the U.S. vice president also serves as president of the Senate. Enditem