Before final approval of the agreement on the return of the strategic Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean to Mauritius, Britain will first consult the administration of the newly elected US President Donald Trump on this issue. This was stated by the British Prime Minister’s spokesman on Wednesday. Officials of Trump’s incoming administration criticized the deal. TASR took the information from the AFP agency.
After decades of negotiations, Britain agreed in October to return the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, its former colony. However, London’s condition is that the US and Britain keep a military base on the largest island, Diego Garcia. In December, the government changed in Mauritius, which renewed talks about the Čagos Islands and is reportedly trying to get higher financial compensation and also negotiate the length of the lease of the base.
The agreement was criticized by several representatives of the administration of the newly elected president, including the designated Minister of Foreign Affairs Marco Rubio, who called it a serious threat to US national security.
“It’s perfectly reasonable for the new US administration to consider the details, and of course we will have discussions with them,” said the spokesman of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. However, he did not clarify whether there could be a scenario where Trump vetoes the entire agreement. “We will only agree to a deal that is in the UK’s best interests and protects our national security.” he declared.
In 1965, as part of its colonial administration, Britain decided to separate the Chagos Islands from Mauritius and establish a military base there, which it leased to the United States. Mauritius gained independence three years later and the Chagos Islands became an overseas territory of the United Kingdom. The military base on the island of Diego Garcia has a strategic location for long-range bombers and ships, which was especially evident during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
