Minister ready to talk to Marcos

Mexico City - Mexico's new Interior Minister, Mr Francisco Labastida, has said he would be willing to meet face-to-face with the rebel leader Subcomandante Marcos in negotiations to help stem rising violence in southern Mexico. Mr Labastida, named last Saturday, made the offer during a rash of protests following the December 22nd massacre of 45 Indian supporters of Subcomandante Marcos' Zapatista guerrillas by paramilitaries in troubled Chiapas state.