Trump and Mexico's Nieto working towards meeting

Washington: The White House on Thursday said that Donald Trump and his Mexican counterpart Enrique Pena Nieto are working towards a meeting, amid tense relations between the two neighbours.

“Both delegations look forward to arranging a meeting, in the near future,” The White House said, adding it would provide the pair an opportunity to “discuss various open issues.”

Trump has threatened to tear up a joint trade deal with Mexico and Canada, build a wall on the southern US border and frequently paints Hispanic migrants in the United States as rapists and murderous thugs.

But he has toned down rhetoric against Mexico specifically ahead of the country’s presidential election in July.

US officials fear hardline rhetoric could spur the candidacy of leftist Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.

Pena Nieto and Trump already met once since the 45th US president took office.