raft of conditions before Bermudians can be eligible for United Kingdom citizenship.

Foreign Office chiefs last night insisted that all the Dependent Territories' citizens could still be eligible for citizenship even if they had not met financial and human rights measures laid out by British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook yesterday.

Baroness Symons, who was yesterday appointed Minister of the Overseas Territories as part of a shake-up of the Foreign Office's administration of the territories, insisted there were no pre-conditions to citizenship.

"We are saying that there is a range of issues including citizenship, financial regulation, human rights and relations with the Governors of the territories which need to be discussed,'' she told The Royal Gazette .

"These are a very wide range of issues and there is no suggestion that they are linked. They all need to be discussed and all must be discussed. But they all stand alone.'' But it is believed that Mr. Cook originally intended to link the issues, but backed off after running into opposition from leaders of the Dependent Territories in the lead-up to yesterday's Dependent Territories Association conference where he delivered the keynote speech.

Premier Pamela Gordon said yesterday: "I think the linkage only came out because there was a hostile reaction from the Chief Ministers and myself when we met with Mr. Cook last night.

"He realised that he could not play a carrot and stick game due to the reaction he received,'' she said.

Ms Gordon and other local leaders yesterday said they welcomed the tone of Mr.

Cook's speech, in which he called for a new partnership between the territories and Britain. "We are determined to create a stronger, better partnership with you,'' he told the 300-person audience.

"We want a modernised contract between Britain and the Dependent Territories.'' While guaranteeing the territories' stability and security and noting that all had indicated that they wished to retain links with Britain, he said: "Within this framework, Britain would like to see the Dependent Territories running their own affairs as much as possible.'' Mr. Cook said he was setting up a new joint Department of International Development/FCO department to manage the territories and added he was appointing Baroness Symons as the first Minister of Overseas Territories -- the new name for Britain's remaining possessions.

"This department will be a direct point of contact between the Dependent Territories and the British Government,'' he said. "It will give the Dependent Territories a clearer voice in government and will ensure that we also give them an important point of contact in Brussels.'' As predicted in The Royal Gazette , Mr. Cook did not make a formal offer of citizenship to the territories. But he said he was conscious that the withdrawal of British citizenship in 1962 had hurt the relationship between Britain and its possessions.

No pre-conditions "That is why I am exploring with my colleagues the possibility of granting British citizenship to all the citizens of those Dependent Territories which do not already have it,'' he said.

Mr. Cook said the move would give the right to live and work in Britain, but there were "complex issues involved in deciding the right approach''.

"We are looking at the matter sympathetically and urgently, but we have not yet reached a decision.'' He said the final decision would be announced to Parliament, adding that a White Paper on Britain's new policy on the Overseas Territories would also be published.

He went on to outline the financial regulations which Britain wishes the territories to have in place by 1999.

The measures are aimed at making the actions of offshore companies "transparent'' and creating a level financial playing field between the different territories.

Baroness Symons refused to comment on how close Bermuda was to meeting the financial requirements, but said all the areas would be discussed with the individual territories.

Similarly, she said Mr. Cook's statement that it would be desirable for capital punishment and birching to be abolished "soon'' did not mean Britain would be forcing the issue.

"We recognise that there are very strong feelings on the issue of capital punishment and we will ask the Dependent Territories to think again, but this is part of the dialogue and we will not force people into a position which they cannot accept.

"Our aim is to put our relationship onto a partnership footing,'' she said.

"That is the right thing to do and it must be done to rid ourselves of all the vestiges of colonialism.

"It will be a partnership based on dialogue and consultation.'' Ms Gordon said she welcomed the conciliatory tone of the FCO, but said Bermuda needed to wait and see if Mr. Cook's words would match his actions.

"Mr. Cook has made it clear today and previously that as a result of the communication he received from the territories that he was less likely to rule by edict and to be more conciliatory. It is a good starting point.'' She added that FCO officials had assured the Government delegation that for the most part, Bermuda met the financial conditions which the Foreign Secretary had laid down.

But she added that further talks would have to take place to establish exactly what Britain wanted. It is also thought that Bermuda's statutory borrowing limit of ten percent of gross domestic product would also satisfy Britain -- which believes it will be found liable if a territory defaults on its loans.

PUTTING BERMUDA'S CASE FORWARD -- Premier Pamela Gordon seen yesterday waiting for the start of the Dependent Territories Association conference.

Robin Cook's full speech on Pages 4 and 6 *** For more stories see Pages 3 and 9