U.S. President Donald Trump "sees great promise in the United Nations if it focuses on its founding mission of international peace and security," his nominee to be ambassador told the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday.

President Trump sees “great promise" in the United Nations, according to his U.N. ambassador nominee Elise Stefanik, who is expected to promise to bring “reform" to the organization.

Panama has alerted the United Nations - in a letter seen by Reuters on Tuesday - to U.S. President Donald Trump's remarks during his inauguration speech, when he vowed that the United States would take back the Panama Canal.

Panama's President Jose Raul Mulino has denied that any other nation was interfering in the canal, which he said was operated on a principle of neutrality. "The canal is and will remain Panama's," Mulino said in response to Trump's threats.

The Panamanian comptroller's office that oversees public entities announced “an exhaustive audit" at the Panama Ports Company.