Joe Biden

Joe Biden, the U.S. vice-president, has met Jalal Talabani, the Iraqi president, as part of an attempt to urge political parties to set aside their differences and form a government four months after elections.

The talks with Talabani on Monday follow meetings with the leaders of the two political factions that polled the most votes in the March polls.

“Iraqiya, State of Law, Iraqi National Alliance, the Kurdistan Alliance all are going to have to play a meaningful role in this new government for it to work,” Biden said after those meetings, referring to the main political blocs vying for power.

The Iraqiya coalition of Iyad Allawi, a former prime minister, won 91 parliamentary seats in the election but has been unable to form a coalition.

The State of Law bloc of Nouri al-Maliki, the incumbent prime minister, trailed with 89 seats. He has joined with the National Iraqi Alliance to form a larger coalition but the new union still does not have enough seats to get a majority.

In a speech to Iraqi leaders on Sunday, Biden said that “subordinating individual interest is fundamental to the success of any nation,” as mortars landed in the heavily fortified Green Zone where the U.S. embassy is based.

Biden added that the U.S. has no “hidden agenda” in the attempt to shape a power sharing deal.