Maldives asks UK to reopen sovereignty talks over Chagos Islands
Chagos Islands should not be handed over to Mauritius, president of Maldives says in letter to UK's prime minister.
Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu has written to UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham, asking him to reopen talks over the sovereignty of the Chagos Islands rather than handing over the islands to Mauritius.
In a statement released on Tuesday by the Maldives’ presidential office, Muizzu emphasised “the importance of meaningful dialogue between the UK and the Maldives on matters concerning the sovereignty of the Chagos archipelago”.
The Maldives government maintains that its own claim to the Chagos Islands is backed by historical ties and geographical proximity, being about 500km (310 miles) away while Mauritius is more than four times that distance.
Burnham’s predecessor, Keir Starmer, had finalised a deal in May 2025 to transfer sovereignty over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. The multibillion-dollar agreement would allow the UK to maintain control of the strategically important US-UK airbase on Diego Garcia.