▲ Donald Trump was greeted by Pope Francis at the Vatican

US President Donald Trump has met Pope Francis at the Vatican for a short private audience on the third leg of his overseas trip.

He arrived for the meeting along with his wife Melania, daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner.

The meeting was keenly awaited as the two men have already clashed at a distance on issues including migration and climate change.

Mr Trump is meeting Italy's president and prime minister.

Later, he will fly to Brussels for a Nato summit.

He earlier vowed to help Israelis and Palestinians achieve peace, as he ended the Middle East leg of his tour.

The US leader began his foreign trip with a two-day stop in Saudi Arabia over the weekend, urging Muslim countries to take the lead in combating radicalisation.
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Much-anticipated meeting

Mr Trump and his entourage arrived at the Vatican just before 08:30 local time; the meeting was arranged at the last minute which resulted in the early start time.

The US president was greeted by Archbishop Georg Ganswein, the head of the papal household, and escorted by the Swiss Guard from the Vatican courtyard to the offices of Pope Francis.