The Government of Bermuda will officially open its new office in Washington, DC next week. The office, which is seven blocks from Capitol Hill, will cost tax payers $1.79 million to lease for 10 years.

"In our 400th anniversary year, the opening of an office in Washington, DC is a watershed event for Bermuda," Premier Ewart Brown said yesterday.

"It will immeasurably strengthen the links between our two countries and position Bermuda well on critically important issues."

Bermuda Cabinet Ministers, Members of Parliament, US members of Congress and their staffs and members of the Obama administration are among the guests expected to attend.

The Bermuda office has high profile neighbours such as the Canadian Embassy, the Federal Trade Commission, the National Archives and the Newseum.

The new office was initially announced soon after Bermuda's fourth annual visit to Washington, where a delegation including the Premier and Finance Minister Paula Cox met with key members of Congress in a bid to rebut the Island's 'tax haven' image.

At the time Dr. Brown said the chairman of the US tax-writing Ways and Means Committee said opening a DC office was "important".

Cabinet Secretary Marc Telemaque is overseeing the opening of the Washington, DC office space.

Yesterday Mr. Telemaque said: "It is intended that there will be three staff in the office."

Staff appointments for the new office will be announced in the coming months.

Mr. Telemaque said the final cost of renovating and setting up the office is not yet known, as work is still underway.

As well as managing the Washington office, Mr. Telemaque also manages a similar Government office in London which opened last year.

The Budget allocated $822,000 for rental of the London office, located in Arlington Street, in Mayfair.