Bermuda will have an official outpost in Washington DC as of September when the Government is set to open an office in the US capital.

Premier Ewart Brown announced yesterday in the House of Assembly that a proposed site for Bermuda's DC office has been found, seven blocks from Capitol Hill, the seat of the US Congress.

Cabinet Secretary Marc Telemaque is currently overseeing lease negotiations at the building, located at 325 7th Street NW, with the goal of an official opening in September to coincide with the Bermuda Government's attendance at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Weekend.

Mr. Telemaque also oversaw the search and opening of a similar Government of Bermuda office in London last year.

This announcement comes following Bermuda's fourth annual visit to Washington DC, where a delegation including the Premier and Finance Minister Paula Cox met with key members of Congress in a bid to rebut the island's 'tax haven' image.

Dr. Brown told the House of Assembly yesterday that the opening of Bermuda's DC office would serve as further evidence that the Government "pays more than lip service to the ideals of sound regulation and genuine partnership".

He said: "The site will provide the opportunity for use by Government Ministers and senior officials and our hope is to provide a localised source of information and key contact personnel at the disposal of Congressional staffers charged with briefing and preparing legislators."

According to Dr. Brown, the chairman of the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee Charles Rangel has already expressed his approval, calling Bermuda's decision to open up a DC office "important".

"Mr. Speaker, I mentioned the opening of this office to chairman Rangel whose response was 'wow, that's just great, that is so important…'," Dr. Brown told the House yesterday. "We expect that this will be the prevailing view on both sides of the aisle."

The Bermuda delegation to Washington DC met with Mr. Rangel and his fellow Ways and Means Committee representatives on Tuesday to discuss Bermuda's tax transparency status. According to a Bermuda Government press release, Mr. Rangel reaffirmed his belief that it is unfair to label the Island as a tax haven. Bermuda has had a tax information exchange agreement with the United States for more than 20 years.

Dr. Brown said the opening of the new office would strengthen ties between Bermuda and the new Obama administration.

"The opening of an office in Washington DC for the Government of Bermuda is a watershed event," Dr. Brown said. "It will immeasurably strengthen the links between our two countries and position Bermuda well for this historic Administration and beyond."

Work on the fit-out and IT infrastructure of the new DC office has already started, according to Dr. Brown. The Premier's press secretary said it is premature to talk publicly about lease terms because they are not finalised yet, although Dr. Brown told the House yesterday that the lease would be "executed for a period reflective of the seriousness with which we view this undertaking".

Similarly, it is not yet known how many Government employees will be working out of the DC office in September. "The staff organisational chart is still in draft form," said a Government spokesman.

Meanwhile, Christopher Joell-Deshields, a Bermudian living in the UK, has been hired as the assistant director and office manager of the Bermuda Government Office in London, under lead representative Kimberly Durrant. $822,000 was allocated in last year's Budget for rental of the London office, located in Arlington Street, Mayfair.