A spokesman for the Mexican Embassy says plans to open a consulate in Boise are scheduled to unfold during the next six months.

The U.S. State Department approved the consulate in Idaho earlier this year, giving the nod to plans for a Mexican consulate in Alaska at the same time. The Idaho office will either be the nation’s 49th or 50th Mexican consulate, depending on which plan proceeds faster.

The Mexican Embassy says the consulate in Boise is scheduled to open by the end of 2008. A spokesman for the embassy says the consulate will likely operate from an existing building in Boise and will be relatively small when compared to the size of Mexican consulates in New York and Los Angeles.

(AP)