Although Mr. Slayton said he had never addressed the topic of relations with the Communist regime of Fidel Castro in his regular conversations with Premier Alex Scott, he was aware of the concerns of his predecessor Denis Coleman on the subject.

Mr. Coleman said in 2003 that the Government's efforts to "foster economic relations" with Cuba was "sticking a finger in the eye" of the US, which has a long-standing policy of an economic embargo of the island.

"The people of Bermuda are very intelligent," Mr. Slayton said. "They know Fidel Castro has been running Cuba since before I was born.

"When Castro came into power, the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of Bermuda and Cuba were about the same ? now Bermuda's GDP per capita is 20 to 25 times greater than that of Cuba.

"At the same time, Cuba has given up its free press, freedom of speech and freedom of assembly. Bermuda has a vigorous and vibrant press, freedom of speech and of worship.

"I think Bermuda's people are intelligent and they can make up their minds which path is better for them and their families."

In 2003, Transport Minister Ewart Brown visited the Caribbean island and had talks with members of the Castro regime aimed at sending Cuba the island's old buses and ferries. Dr. Brown also expressed hopes that Cuba's national airline might use Bermuda as a hub for its Europe-bound flights.

The then Tourism Minister Ren?e Webb then went to Cuba to see a cultural exchange involving musicians from both islands and a cultural "memorandum of understanding" was agreed between the islands.

The Cuban connection was one factor that did not help Bermuda-US relations in recent years. Mr. Slayton was also aware of comments made about the US before his tenure that had been "not accurate or kind".

Without citing any examples, Mr. Slayton said: "In the past, I know that sometimes comments were made here about the US that were not accurate or kind. Since my arrival, that has not happened.

"Friends and allies don't throw brick bats at each other in the press. If there is a difference of opinion, let's talk about it."

In 1999, at a time when he was involved with negotiations with the US Defence Department over the clean-up of the baselands, the then Development and Opportunity Minister Terry Lister launched a broadside at the US in the House of Assembly.

He branded the American use of capital punishment as racist and "nothing other than legalised murder of black men".

Mr. Lister added: "There are no morals in the United States. There is no moral leadership. If you want moral leadership, do not look there."

Mr. Lister also mentioned a visit he had made to the Pentagon with the then Environment Minister Arthur Hodgson.

"We went to the Pentagon to try and raise the moral issue of the base clean-up with people who kill for a living," he said.

In May 2004, Tourism and Transport Minister Ewart Brown sparked a diplomatic incident when he was accused of failing to comply with routine security screening at the airport.

A press release from the US Consulate stated Dr. Brown had committed a "gross violation" of security procedure. Dr. Brown denied it and refused to contact the US Consul to discuss the matter, saying the Consul should contact him.

Speaking ahead of a whirlwind tour of Washington on May 16 to 18, which will include around 20 meetings with influential US politicians and Government officials meeting Ministers and civil servants from the island, Mr. Slayton said it was time to build bridges.

The trip will include breakfast at the White House and a diplomatic reception hosted by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dennis Hastert. Many members of Congress are expected to attend. The Bermuda delegation will also meet Senate Leader William Frist in a private meeting.

Yesterday Mr. Slayton said Senator Max Baucus, of Montana, had become the latest US lawmaker to agree to a meeting with the Bermuda delegation. Sen. Baucus has served in the Senate for 27 years and and is the Ranking Democratic Member for the US Senate Committee on Finance, which he chaired from 2001 to 2003. He is opposed to the US embargo of Cuba.

"I think this exercise is really about bridge building," Mr. Slayton said. "If you look to the time when the US-Bermuda tax treaty was negotiated, and engineered by the former Premier Sir John Swan, it was built up through the mutual respect between the leaders of the two governments.

"I'm not saying that does not exist today, but there is no kind of personal relationship, which is what we need to build. As the old saying goes: 'Make your friends before you need them'."

It was lobbying from Sir John, who enjoyed several meetings with the late President Ronald Reagan in the Oval Office, that led to the treaty being signed in 1988.

The treaty set up a legal framework for US authorities looking for information on Bermuda companies, gave tax breaks for convention meetings held here by US companies, and paved the way for majority America control of reinsurance companies. The document has been credited with sparking the international business boom that continues today.

Mr. Slayton said one of the aims of the Washington mission would be to enlighten American leaders on how Bermuda's business-friendly tax rules actually benefit the US by facilitating the provision of large-scale reinsurance cover for natural disasters and terrorist attacks.

In doing so, he hoped to prevent the island becoming a "whipping boy" as it had become at the last US presidential election, when Democratic Party candidate John Kerry repeatedly referred to Bermuda as a buzz word for corporate tax avoidance.

"I think there is no doubt that a section of the body politic in the US would like to challenge existing tax laws," Mr. Slayton said.

"But the question in my mind is: How can Bermuda prevent itself being used as a whipping boy? There was some demagoguery going on at the last election and when people don't have all the facts, then the demagogue's claim can be difficult to refute.

"One of the aims of this trip is to make sure that lawmakers in the US, in the House, the Senate and the White House, have the truth and understand that this is a vital mutual relationship and that both countries benefit from it."

Mr. Slayton said he understood that almost 25 per cent of all insurance claims paid out in relation to the 9/11 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington were funded by Bermuda companies.

Bermuda companies had sizeable operations in the US, employed many Americans and they paid US taxes, added the Consul General.

"I know that the state insurance commissioner for the state of Florida was in Bermuda for talks with insurance executives about more insurance cover for Florida," Mr. Slayton said.

"This is a mutually beneficial relationship. And when people come to realise that, it will be a lot harder for the demagoguery to be effective."

As for whether Premier Scott will have the opportunity to meet President George W. Bush, Mr. Slayton would say only: "The schedule is still being finalised."