Vatican City, May 24 (IANS): US President Donald Trump met Pope Francis on Wednesday at the Vatican for a short private audience on the third leg of his overseas trip.

Trump arrived for the meeting at the Apostolic Palace 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, BBC reported.

Trump will later meet Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni. He will then fly to Brussels for a NATO summit.

At an earlier news conference, the Pope said he wouldn't judge Trump before their meeting or seek to convert him on political issues. Instead, he'd look for areas of agreement.

"Always there are doors that are not closed. Look for the doors that are at least a little bit open, enter and talk about common things and go on. Step by step," the pontiff said.

Trump earlier said he looked forward to "the honour" of meeting the Pope and discussing "how Christian teachings can help put the world on a path to justice, freedom and peace".

The US President vowed to help Israelis and Palestinians achieve peace, as he ended the Middle East leg of his tour on Tuesday.

Trump had 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.