13 June 2007 | The Royal Gazette

The Premier and Deputy Premier will meet US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice later this week during a whistle-stop trip to Washington, DC.

Ewart Brown and Paula Cox will head a Government delegation to the American capital for two days of talks on Thursday and Friday with a host of Capitol Hill politicians, including the woman twice ranked the most powerful in the world by Forbes magazine. The pair will be escorted by US Consul General Gregory Slayton on a trip being hailed as the "second historic bilateral visit" to the US seat of power.

Dr. Brown's predecessor Alex Scott led the first Progressive Labour Party Government delegation there last May - but a hoped-for meeting with Dr. Rice did not materialise for him. Mr. Slayton announced at a press conference yesterday that "my boss, the Secretary of State" had made time in her busy schedule to meet Dr. Brown and Finance Minister Ms Cox.

"I know she's excited about it," he said. "I know she's looking at Bermuda as a model for other nations, especially other island nations. Bermuda has done so well. I think Bermuda does merit a leadership position." MORE! »