U.S. Vice-President Dick Cheney arrived here yesterday on a two-day visit during which he will hold talks with His Majesty Sultan Qaboos, it was announced here yesterday.

Cheney was welcomed at Salalah Civil Airport by Sayyid Fahd bin Mahmood Al Said, Deputy Prime Minister for the Cabinet Affairs; Sayyid Badr bin Hareb, Defence Minister; Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah, Foreign Minister; Dr Omar bin Abdul Munim Al Zawawi, Special Adviser to Sultan Qaboos on External Laiason; Ahmed bin Abdulnabi Macki, Minister of National Economy; Sheikh Mohammed bin Ali Al Qatabi, Minister of State and Governor of Dhofar and Maqbool bin Ali Sultan, Minister of Commerce and Industry were also present.

According to political analysts and observers, the visit, the third by an U.S. vice president to Oman, is significant in the wake of Wednesday's U.S.-backed UN Security Council resolution, which for the first time has defined Palestine as a state, a move which has been welcomed by Oman.