The new consul, Salvador Jimenez Mu oz, will work to expand ties between Mexico and Utah, as well as serving Mexican nationals living in the state, said Geronimo Gutierrez, deputy minister of Mexican foreign affairs.

"We should do our utmost to further cultural, economic and political relationships," Gutierrez said during a news conference at the University of Utah's Hinckley Institute of Politics. "That is our firm objective."

Mu oz, who will take charge of the regional consulate based in Salt Lake City on Jan. 15, succeeds Anacelia Perez de Meyer, who left in 2002 to become her nation's ambassador to Haiti. Patricia DeLuera, who has been serving as acting consul, will return to deputy consul when Mu oz takes charge.

The consulate is a clearinghouse for Mexican nationals to obtain documents, information and services regarding labor disputes, immigration, trade, legal issues, passports and visas. For example, the identification cards that noncitizens need to obtain a Utah driver license are issued by the consul.

Gutierrez also said Fox intends to visit Utah, possibly in April or the summer. If he comes, it would be the first such visit by a Mexican president in recent memory. About 10 percent of Utahns, or 202,000 people, are Latino, a large majority of whom hail from Mexico, according to the 2000 Census.

Mu oz - who is currently with the Mexican Consulate in Los Angeles - said his focus will be serving and protecting Mexican citizens living in Utah.

"At the same time, we are going to work hard to further the relationships in all the fields we can," he said. He added that Utah had created a climate welcoming to Mexican citizens.

It's a "good environment for them," Mu oz said. "There have been many improvements in their lives here."

Mu oz already has huddled with Gov. Olene Walker and on Tuesday met with LDS Church authorities.

U.S. Rep. Chris Cannon, R-UtahÂ, was on hand for the announcement and declared that Utah's "relationship to Mexico is probably more important than any other relationship we have. I don't think it's possible to overstate that importance."

Cannon also called Fox's planned visit "exciting" and noted that "it says that our governors and our other political leaders have shown some foresight in creating relationships with Mexico."

The Salt Lake City consulate also represents Idaho and parts of Montana and Wyoming.

tburr@sltrib.com