Mexico in the European Council

On December 1, 1999, the European Council’s Committee of Ministers approved the resolution under which Mexico joined this organization as a permanent observer. The article deals with the importance of this fact, from the point of background and development, as well as its implications for Mexican foreign policy. It is divided into five sections. In the first, Rodríguez Arriaga presents the conditions that prevailed during the nineties—a result of the end of the Cold War—, that led to closer ties between Mexico and Europe. In the second, he develops the reasons why the Council of Ministers agreed to Mexico’s joining. Notable among these reasons is the evolution of the country’s ties with Europe and the possibility of its national development and foreign policy experiences enriching the Council of Europe’s work. The author also describes the powers Mexico will have from now on as a permanent observer. In the third section, he describes negotiations by the Mexican diplomats with the main institutions of the Council of Europe, as well as other activities that awakened Europeans’ interest in Mexico, such as its participation in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. The fourth section refers to the conditions required for a country to be accepted as a permanent observer of the Council of Europe, and explains why they are not the same for everyone. In this regard, he mentions that Mexico and Japan faced more difficulties than the United States or Canada. In the fifth section, Rodríguez Arriaga specifies the Council of Europe's objectives, as well as the cornmittees, groups and mechanisms employed in pursuing its purposes. According to the author's conclusions, Mexico’s entrance into the Council of Europe will open up new opportunities of political communication and cooperation for the country with each one of the Conncil of Europe’s 41 members, as well as multilaterally. Mexico will also be able to get useful experience for the development of its public institutions and policies.