Strasbourg - The Mexican Foreign Minister, Ms Rosario Green, told the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe yesterday that her country had "undergone a profound political transition" in the past five years, Paddy Woodworth writes from Strasbourg. "Today no one can deny that Mexico is a more plural and democratic country," she said, insisting that significant human rights advances had been made under President Ernesto Zedillo.
She was speaking at Mexico's admission as an observer to the Council of Europe. Mexico is the first Latin American country to achieve this status, which it shares with the US, Canada, Japan and the Vatican. The Council of Europe sees its role primarily as a "democratic conscience" on human rights.