Bermuda's application to join the Caribbean Community (Caricom) as an associate member was accepted yesterday, according to a report from an international news agency.

Government said last night it could not confirm if the Caricom heads of government meeting in Belize City, Belize, had accepted the application because it did not have a representative there.

Government said if the application was given the go-ahead, Bermuda expected to be sent details of terms and conditions that would enable the Island to "make a final decision on whether or not to join".

Premier Jennifer Smith has already told MPs Bermuda will not join if the costs are prohibitive and will not make a decision until the issue has been debated in the House of Assembly. The debate has not yet been held.

The Associated Press yesterday quoted Belizean Prime Minister Said Musa, the president of the 14-member organisation, saying applications from Bermuda and the Cayman Islands to become associated members had been accepted.

Details of when they would officially sign would be released later, it quoted Caricom officials as saying.

The report appeared to contradict an earlier AP story which said Bermuda's application was expected to be approved at a Caricom conference in July.

A Government Information Services statement issued to The Royal Gazette last night confirmed the application was being considered at the meeting.

"Bermuda's interest in applying for associate membership of Caricom was placed on the agenda of the 13th Inter-Sessional meeting of the Caribbean heads of government," the statement read.

"It is out understanding that if, at that meeting, they accepted our application, they would attach certain terms and conditions to our joining."

We would then expect Caricom to forward details of those terms and conditions to us so that Bermuda will be able to make a final determination on whether or not to join.

"There were no representatives from Bermuda at the meeting and we have not yet received from Caricom the outcome of the meeting."The Royal Gazette was unable to contact Caricom last night to confirm the story.

The four day meeting is discussing tightening security in response to growing concern about drug trafficking and organised crime in the Caribbean.

"The threat of trans-boundary organised crime to the Caribbean is real. We must be diligent to attack the causes of crime as vigorously as we address the curtailment of criminal activity," said Mr. Musa in his opening address to the meeting.