Britain is set to take another look at its agreement to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, after US President Donald Trump made clear that he does not support the deal in its current form.
UK Defense Secretary Wes Streeting told the BBC on Wednesday that Washington’s position became clear following Trump’s description of the agreement as a “terrible deal” during talks with Prime Minister Andy Burnham at the UN General Assembly in New York.
Under the agreement negotiated by former Premier Keir Starmer’s government, Mauritius would take sovereignty over the Chagos archipelago, while Britain would pay about £101 million ($136 million) a year on average to retain access to the joint UK-US military facility on Diego Garcia.
The arrangement was put on hold indefinitely in April after Trump withdrew his backing. Streeting said the government would now work with the US to alter the agreement sufficiently to secure its support.
“We have to do more work with our American allies, with President Trump and his administration, to get the deal to a place where he can support it,” he said.
The future of Diego Garcia is at the center of the dispute. Britain has maintained that uncertainty over the island’s sovereignty could threaten the long-term security of the base.
Mauritius disputes the existing territorial settlement, arguing that it was compelled to surrender the islands in 1965 as part of the process leading to independence.
Starmer said he had “inherited the situation” and that a resolution was needed, stressing the importance of protecting the base.
The government is not expected to launch a formal review with a fixed timetable. According to the BBC, officials have indicated that the fundamental position remains unchanged: any final agreement would need the backing of the United States.
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