U.S. President Barack Obama (R) greets Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper. (Jason Reed/REUTERS FILE)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Phew!

The U.S. and Mexico aren't scheming to invade Canada, according to U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland.

On Wednesday, she thrice denied that a closed-door meeting between Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Mexico's foreign minister was to plot a takeover of Canada.

"This isn't some secret thing to invade Canada or something like that?" a reporter asked Nuland during a press briefing about why a signing ceremony between the two countries wasn't open to the press.

"No, no, no," Nuland replied. "It's not anything classified."

That's a relief.

bryn.weese@sunmedia.ca