US Vice President Dick Cheney has arrived in Italy on the last stop of a four-nation tour to promote Georgia's and Ukraine's NATO membership.

Cheney is to address the Ambrosetti conference on security and intelligence in Lake Como on Saturday, after pledging Washington's "deep and abiding interest" in Ukraine, Georgia and Azerbaijan, and slamming Russia's military actions last month over the rebel region of South Ossetia.

The US vice president also expressed support for Georgia and Ukraine becoming eventual members of NATO. He was expected to press that message to leaders at the conference and in one on-one talks with Spanish, Turkish and Italian leaders.

During his trip, Cheney urged the expansion of energy routes that would take oil and gas to Europe and bypass energy giant Russia. Extending the pipeline to continental Europe would mean easier access to Central Asian gas while bypassing Russia and Iran but the recent conflict between Russia and Georgia has raised questions about the viability of the project.

He also restated US support for Ukraine's bid to join NATO and warned Russia against attempting to block Ukraine's entry to the military alliance.

Russia has objected to the 26-member NATO military alliance, which Moscow sees as a Cold War relic, and said it was time for a new inclusive security system including Russia.

Moscow also opposes Ukraine's entry into NATO and has called for an arms embargo on Georgia.