Premier Alex Scott will head a Government delegation to Washington, DC for groundbreaking talks with a host of influential American politicians, it was confirmed yesterday.

Mr. Scott, who hailed this month?s two-day trip to Capitol Hill an historic first for the Island, will meet Speaker of the US House of Representatives Dennis Hastert ? third in line for presidential succession.

Other key White House policy-shapers on the agenda during a whirlwind of diplomatic activity include Senate leader Bill Frist and Senator John McCain, defeated for the Republican nomination for President in 2000 and expected to run again for the presidency in 2008.

US Consul General Gregory Slayton organised the whistle-stop visit he said should give Bermuda lawmakers ?unprecedented? access to key movers and shakers in the US establishment.

Concrete details of what will be discussed on the pioneering trip to the seat of US political power were not outlined yesterday.

But the delegation will use it to boost relations between the two countries ? and it is understood that trade, tourism, the war on drugs and homeland security issues will be on the table when Mr. Scott?s team arrives.

Another topic likely to be on the agenda will be international tax laws. And Mr. Scott will be seeking to issue assurances in the wake of comments made by Presidential hopeful John Kerry in the 2004 campaign, when the Democratic challenger said he would shut down tax loopholes that allowed ?$40 billion? to go to Bermuda.

Mr. Scott said he understood the tax topic had slipped off the ?front burner? in the US after that election ? and he said the trip to Capitol Hill would give him chance to hammer home the facts face-to-face with decision-makers, ensuring they speak from ?first-hand knowledge? and not from a campaign speech.

?Our tax policies have not changed in the last 100 years. We did not create a tax regime aimed at avoiding taxes,? he told the press conference, adding that monetary authorities ensured the country met international finance rules.

The Premier said that Bermuda?s success in the international business arena had catapulted it into a worldwide leadership role ? and given it a global reputation as a major player.

?We guard jealously our reputation for fiscal prudence,? Mr. Scott told reporters, stressing the ?mutually beneficial relationship? between the superpower and the Island over the centuries.

?But Bermuda did not get here alone. One of our noteworthy partners, the United States of America, has been on this journey with us almost from the year of our discovery in 1609.?

He added: ?Bermuda has unique connections with the USA. In history, commerce, culture, education, tourism and trade. That connection has produced a business and diplomatic relationship that bodes well for our two countries. We are certainly proud to be a partner in this diplomatic effort.?

The Premier said that the ?historic initiative? on May 17/18 was the first official bilateral visit of Bermuda Government officials to Washington, DC. Joining him on the visit to Washington will be Finance Minister Paula Cox and Home Affairs Minister Randy Horton, due to discuss drug enforcement, the role of the US Coast Guard and the impact of new immigration terms on key executives.

Consul General Mr. Slayton said: ?For the first time in diplomatic memory, the US Chief of Mission in Bermuda will escort a delegation from the Government of Bermuda to Washington DC to meet with key decision-makers.?

Outlining the itinerary, Mr. Slayton said House of Representatives speaker Dennis Hastert will host a diplomatic reception with other House leaders. And Senate leader Bill Frist has agreed to a private meeting with the Bermuda delegation.

Elsewhere, private meetings on the Hill have been organised with members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, including Senators Norm Coleman, Mel Martinez and George Allen.

Behind closed doors talks with Susan Collins, chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Sam Brownback, a member of the Committee on Appropriations and the Joint Economics Committee and John McCain ? one of America?s best-known Senators ? have also been confirmed. Discussions will be held with the Congressional Black Caucus, including Congressman G.K. Butterfield, whose father emigrated to the US from St. George?s in 1905 and fought for America in the First World War.

The itinerary will take in meetings at the US Department of Commerce, the US Department of the Treasury, the National Security Council and the World Bank. Mr. Slayton said the trip was an ?historic opportunity? for Bermuda?s Government to build a rapport with Washington?s major players, to which the Premier?s team should have ?unprecedented access?.

He added: ?It is an extraordinary agenda and I?m grateful that I have been able to draw on my relationship with these public figures on behalf of Bermuda.

?In my experience, the value of friendship is incalculable; there is no better time to establish an alliance with friends than before one is required to call upon them.

?There is no doubt that constructive and positive dialogue is the most effective tool in the diplomatic arsenal. And that is what this bilateral visit is all about.?

Asked whether President George W. Bush would be meeting the Bermuda team, Mr. Slayton said the itinerary was still being finalised.

?President Bush will be aware of our presence,? added Mr. Scott, who hailed the work of the Consul General in setting up the meetings and said Governor Sir John Vereker had backed the plans. Also on the agenda is a breakfast and conferences at the WhiteHouse.