TheCable

US President Donald Trump says he wants immigrants from around the world.

Following a visit last week by Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg, the US president allegedly told senators in a private meeting that the US should accept more people from Norway instead of “shithole countries” in Latin America and Africa.

His remark had elicited global outrage and condemnation, with African Union (AU) ambassadors demanding an apology.

Speaking with reporters while hosting Kazakhstan President, Nursultan Nazarbayev, at the White House on Tuesday, Trump said: “I want them to come in from everywhere.”

Trump said this in response to a reporter who asked if he wanted more immigrants from Norway.

Meanwhile, Rex Tillerson, US secretary of state, says his country has a strong relationship with African countries and is interested in having such ties with them in future.

“We have very positive relationship with African nations, we share a number of security issues,” he said.

“We share a number of economic development issues and I think those leaders know that the United States wants that relationship to continue to be strong,” Tillerson said at a news conference in Vancouver while answering a question on the impact of Trump’s reported remark.

The diplomat expressed hope that African nations also want to maintain the good relationship with Washington.