Premier Pamela Gordon may meet US President Bill Clinton in the near future, it was revealed yesterday.

Ms Gordon stressed last night that plans for a meeting were at the early stages.

And she added her first contact with US lawmakers would be meetings with "some people who will look out for Bermuda's best interests and try and get something to happen for us''.

She said of a meeting with the President: "I do plan on trying to meet the President if we can pull it off.'' It is expected the initial talks will focus on possible US assistance for the clean-up of the former US Navy bases on the Island -- including tons of asbestos taken off the sites and currently awaiting a solution to its disposal.

Ms Gordon said: "These people have Bermuda's interests at heart and who will assist us in bringing about legislative changes to assist with environmental issues we have.'' It is understood Ms Gordon will be accompanied by Finance Minister Grant Gibbons and senior civil servants for the primary meetings.

The news comes only days after Ms Gordon's triumphal visit to the RIMS insurance conference in Atlanta, Georgia -- her first overseas engagement since becoming the Island's first woman Premier almost a month ago.

The Premier was snapped up for a live interview on Atlanta-based national TV station Cable News Network (CNN).

And city mayor Bill Campbell later declared last Thursday as Pamela F. Gordon Day in her honour.

Ms Gordon said last night: "I have never met the President -- he did walk past me at the Olympic Games in Atlanta last year, but I have never met him in any formal capacity.'' She added that Bermuda had outstanding problems with the US and she intended to do some tough talking over environmental issues.

And she insisted that any meeting with President Clinton would get down to brass tacks and not just be a public relations photo opportunity.

She said: "I don't need my photograph taken with President Clinton and he doesn't need his photograph taken with me.

"And we don't want to waste our time on low-level meetings. Bermuda deserves more than that.'' Ms Gordon was speaking almost exactly a year after then-Premier David Saul met Mr. Clinton at the Oval Office after a series of talks with high-ranking Government officials.

A spokesman for the White House later confirmed that the President, who talked with Dr. Saul for around 15 minutes, had stressed the importance he placed on continuing good relations with Bermuda.

The spokesman added that the two men had "discussed the issues of concern relating to the closure of the Naval Bases in Bermuda including the environmental issues''.

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