UK to Review Chagos Archipelago Handover Agreement with Mauritius

The Chagos Archipelago, located in the central Indian Ocean, includes Diego Garcia Atoll. A British military base is situated there, which the UK uses jointly with the United States. The atoll is approximately 1700 kilometers from the southern tip of the Indian subcontinent, 3000 kilometers from Africa, and about 2000 kilometers from Mauritius, which claims this territory.

Streeting stated that Trump's remarks confirm that the American president's position on the agreement in its current form has not changed. According to the minister, London needs to work with its American allies, Trump and his administration, and amend the agreement so that the US can approve it.

Under the current version of the agreement, the UK would transfer sovereignty over the archipelago to Mauritius, but would lease Diego Garcia Atoll, along with the military base, for 99 years. In return, the British side would be required to pay an average of 101 million pounds sterling, or about 134 million dollars, annually.

Not only Donald Trump but also the British opposition opposes the handover of the archipelago. Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch called on Prime Minister Andy Burnham to definitively abandon the agreement. Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage stated that the Chagos agreement is "dead" and expressed satisfaction about it.

The previous British government, led by Keir Starmer, suspended the ratification of the agreement in Parliament back in April, directly linking it to US opposition.

To ratify the agreement with Mauritius, the UK, together with the United States, needs to amend the 1966 British-American agreement on the joint use of the Diego Garcia base. According to Streeting, during the review of the terms, London will seek to more reliably guarantee the future of the military facility.

On Tuesday, during his first meeting with new British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, Trump reiterated that he considers the agreement with Mauritius "terrible" and that the UK intends to review its terms. Burnham confirmed this.

Later, the British Prime Minister told journalists that the problem was inherited from the previous government. According to him, a solution must be found that will guarantee the future of the base, which is important for the security of both the UK and the US. He also said that he would work to reach an agreement among all interested parties.

Before his trip to New York, Burnham held talks with Mauritian Head of Government Navin Ramgoolam. The official British statement said that the Prime Minister promised to do everything possible, together with the United States, to ratify the agreement.

However, the UK government has not yet set a timeline for the review and ratification of the agreement.

Opponents of the archipelago's transfer argue that after Chagos comes under Mauritian sovereignty, Chinese military personnel could be stationed there. Mauritius maintains close ties with China.

The decision to transfer sovereignty over Chagos was made by the Labour government of the UK to comply with a 2019 recommendation from the International Court of Justice. Mauritius, formerly a British colony, has long sought the transfer of the archipelago, despite more than 2000 kilometers of open ocean separating it from Chagos.

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