Bermuda's ambassador for Switzerland Bruno Spinner is hoping his trip to the Island this week will turn out to be beneficial in more ways than one.

For while the UK-based diplomat is in Bermuda meeting with his honorary consul Leo Betschart, he is also planning to meet with the Bermuda Monetary Authority to share information on anti-money laundering practices, and other financial institutions.

Mr. Spinner, who is the Swiss ambassador for Britain and the overseas territories, arrived on Thursday night for the five-day visit.

On Friday he went to Cabinet where he met with Governor Sir John Vereker, Premier Jennifer Smith, Opposition Leader Dr. Grant Gibbons, Hamilton Mayor Lawson Mapp, acting Finance Minister Randolph Horton and finance director Donald Scott.

But over the next couple of days, he will meet with president of the Bank of Bermuda Henry Smith and chairman of the monetary authority, Cheryl-Ann Lister, in the hope that ideas can be swapped, ideas shared and relationships strengthened.

"I want to exchange views with them on issues relating to the international financial market and developments in the field of insurance and banking," said Mr. Spinner.

"We each have a lot of information, but we would like to compare our information about the policy of the European Union with the no savings taxation system, and about the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), which has led some programmes against unfair tax procedures.

"We (Switzerland and Bermuda) are very much concerned with and very much in favour of very clean financial markets. "We will be looking, for example, to see if political people, such as Iraqi leaders, tried to put monies in our countries.

"And we will be discussing money laundering in all its forms - we have to fight that."

Mr. Spinner said he believed Bermuda and Switzerland had much in common.

He said not only were both countries culturally diverse and home to varying opinions and discussions, but he said both countries had very liberal financial systems.

He added: "We like the protection of privacy of our clients, but in order to have that and to have a liberal system, we need to be merciless with those who misuse the system.

"We can learn from each other and exchange information and experiences, but we can also make a common front against those who would like to kill our liberal systems, not only criminals, but some states."

However, business aside, when The Royal Gazette spoke to Mr. Spinner at a drinks reception at La Coquille restaurant on Friday night, he said he also planned to relax while in Bermuda with his wife Madelon.

He said he would be taking in a little golf, enjoying Bermuda's natural beauty, and trying to see as much of the Island as possible.

But Mr. Spinner said since arriving on the Island he had also suggested a Swiss Club be created, which could

bring together people on the Island with Swiss ties for both business and social reasons, with the aim of improving relationships with Bermuda.

However, he said although it was his idea, the initiative had to come from people living on the Island, and it would be the 120 local Swiss people who would decide how the group moved forward.

"The aim should be to develop Bermudian Swiss relationships on a down to earth level," added the ambassador.

"It could help business, social and tourism contacts, and it would help people to establish networks. It's an obvious idea.

"I think it's not enough just to have a wonderful honorary consul - I think it's necessary that the Swiss are involved here and that something develops between the Swiss living here and Bermuda itself. We have people living here for a few months of the year, and they could also be involved.

"This is my first visit, but my analysis is that there are not many problems in Bermuda, so I won't need to come back for a professional visit for the next few years.

"However, I might come back privately, and I would certainly come back for the Swiss Club. That would be wonderful."

Mr. Spinner thanked everyone for their hospitality, and said he had found Bermuda to be warm, friendly and very beautiful.

But he said, like his homeland, it was a paradise with its problems, and he said those problems arose because of the rich mix of people here.

"Bermuda, if I may give a general appreciation, is a very delicate paradise," he said.

"It's not the paradise, but it can be a paradise if people work at it. It's not a one-culture Island and not everyone thinks the same way.

"I think it's not a paradise for everybody, but it has elements for everybody - it's the same as Switzerland. We have the same multi-cultural society with a lot of different debates going on.

"But the issues can only be managed by the people themselves. It has to be bottom up, rather than top down. I believe the people themselves have to develop it and they have to work at it. They have to discuss the issues with each other.

"In Switzerland, the different cultures get along well, but the fight is constant. It's a constant fight in order to ensure that the opinions of the minorities are respected. That is what you have to do."

Anyone interested in knowing more about the idea of the Swiss Club should call the Swiss consul on 236-2985.