Two political pressure groups have thrown their weight behind a conference for Caribbean colonies hosted by the Bermuda Government.

The forum, to be held this week, was announced by Premier Pamela Gordon in a bid to find common ground ahead of next month's UK Dependent Territories Review in London.

Bermuda is now the largest of the UK's remaining colonies.

And Chief Ministers from Anguilla, the British Virgin Islands, Montserrat and the Turks and Caicos will arrive on the Island for the summit meeting on Thursday and Friday.

Delegates will seek agreement on three issues central to the UK Review -- citizenship, constitutional status and a possible name change away from Dependent Territories.

The Bermuda-based Friends of Montserrat Coalition and Citizens for a Better Democracy released a joint statement welcoming the conference.

But both groups took credit for urging Bermuda's Government to take a lead in pre-Review negotiations.

The statement said: "Many people in Bermuda will remember that we had talked about many of these issues, particularly the need to take the lead vis-a-vis the other Dependent Territories.

"The Government's initiative on this issue, following our lead, needs to be commended.'' It added that both groups agreed with Opposition leader Jennifer Smith that Government should have acted "earlier and more comprehensively'' to help Montserrat following last year's volcano eruptions.

And the statement said both pressure groups objected to Bermuda allowing more British residents onto the Island in a bid to win more rights from the UK Government.

It said: "We are concerned as the process moves forward that both parties recognise that the issue of reciprocity needs to be brought up and addressed with the British Government, for we are opposed to any arrangement that will have the effect of Bermuda having to open its doors to an influx of British and/or European citizens who may wish to come here to work or reside.

"This issue is absolutely non-negotiable.'' The Friends of Montserrat Coalition held a public forum on the Dependent Territories Review in Hamilton last November.

Organisers also used the event to start a fundraising programme for Montserrat.