MEXICAN PRESIDENT TO FIGHT DRUGS

UNITED NATIONS (AP) - Mexico's president-elect told U.N. Secretary-General
Kofi Annan that he wants to start dealing with the issues of drugs and
corruption on an international level, a U.N. official said.

During a half-hour meeting at U.N. headquarters, Vicente Fox indicated that
Mexico wants to get away from the annual U.S. evaluation of its performance
fighting illegal drugs and start attacking the problem with other affected
nations, the official said.

Mexico and other countries resent the annual State Department evaluation of
their drug-fighting performance, saying it is unfair for the United States
alone to decide. If a country's performance is deemed inadequate, economic
sanctions could be imposed.

Fox has proposed that countries affected by drug trafficking - either by
the production or sale of drugs - should unite forces to combat it.

Annan invited Fox to attend a conference in Palermo, Italy, from Dec. 12-15
on the U.N. Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, the U.N.
official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Fox didn't indicate
whether he would be able to attend.

Jorge Castaneda, Fox's adviser on international affairs, called Monday's
meeting ``friendly'' and said the president-elect invited Annan to his
inauguration on Dec. 1. Annan didn't indicate whether he would be able to
attend.

Castaneda said Fox, who will become the first Mexican president from an
opposition party in more than 70 years, also wants to improve relations
between Mexico and the United Nations (news - web sites).

On other issues, the U.N. official said Fox told Annan he was ready to
negotiate with Zapatista rebels in the southern state of Chiapas. The
rebels staged a brief uprising in the name of indigenous rights in January
1994, marking the beginning of a conflict that still rumbles on today.

Castaneda told reporters the president-elect expressed his intention to
reach an agreement in Chiapas as soon as possible, and is ready to make
some gestures under certain conditions.

He didn't elaborate except to say the conditions would be related to the
armed forces.