Washington  - US Vice President Dick Cheney is to travel to Georgia and three other countries next week, highlighted by talks with Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, Washington said Monday.

The White House said Cheney would leave on September 2 for Georgia, to be followed by stops in Azerbaijan, the Ukraine and Italy for talks focusing on topics of mutual interest.

In the Ukraine, Cheney will be meeting President Viktor Yushchenko.

Both Georgia and Ukraine hope to join the western NATO alliance, a prospect which Russia strongly opposes.

In Azerbaijan, Cheney is to meet President Ilham Aliyev, and finally wrap up his tour in Italy in talks with Premier Silvio Berlusconi and President Giorgio Napolitano. (dpa)