MOST of the US politicians and officials who met with the Bermuda delegation in Washington over the past two days have expressed an interest in visiting the island during the next year.

US Consul General Gregory Slayton said yesterday that those who hoped to visit Bermuda included former Republican presidential candidate Senator John McCain, House of Representatives Speaker Dennis Hastert and Senate Leader Bill Frist.

Mr. Slayton accompanied the island party, which included Premier Alex Scott, Finance Minister Paula Cox and Labour & Home Affairs Minister Randy Horton, during a whirlwind visit involving 21 meetings over the past two days.

Speaking from Washington, between meetings, Mr. Slayton said: "The aim of this visit was always to mark the beginning of a new phase in the relationship between Bermuda and the US, which goes back some 230 years. Both sides have taken the relationship a bit for granted in recent years."

Mr. Slayton is a friend of many influential people in the US Government, not least President George W. Bush. His influence helped secure meetings with a string of leading politicians and top officials from the State Department and the Treasury. Before the visit, he said relations between countries were based on personal relationships between leaders and it was advisable to "make your friends before you need them".

He added that personal relationships had been developed on the trip.

"I think the evidence of that is that the majority of leaders we have spoken with have said they plan to return the favour ? they want to or plan to come to Bermuda in the next 12 months to learn more about the island," Mr. Slayton said.

"Those include Senator McCain and Senator Frisk and also Congressman Hastert, as well as officials from the State Department."

Themes of yesterday's meetings were similar to those discussed on Wednesday, he added. He said there were "substantive discussions" on a possible expanded role for the US Coast Guard in Bermuda waters, the "stop list" that currently prevents petty offenders from travelling to the US, and the relationship between Bermuda's insurance and reinsurance industry and the US.

"Meetings with the Congressional Black Caucus also went extremely well," Mr. Slayton said. "They are long-time friends of Bermuda.

"I've been very impressed with the way the delegation has handled meetings with very high-ranking people. They've been extremely diplomatic and there's also been a bit of humour, which always helps."