UK Government Clarifies Status of Chagos Islands Deal
The UK government has stated there is "no pause" in the Chagos Islands sovereignty transfer deal, despite earlier remarks by a minister indicating a "pause" in the legislative process to transfer control of the territory to Mauritius.
A government source emphasized,
"there is no pause, we have never set a deadline and timings will be announced in the usual way".
Minister's Comments on Legislative Process
Foreign Office Minister Hamish Falconer responded to MPs' questions by saying the UK was "pausing" the process while engaging in "discussions" with the United States. This followed US President Donald Trump's recent call for Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to abandon the deal, despite prior US support.
The agreement involves the UK ceding sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, while paying an average of £101 million annually to lease back a joint UK-US military base located on the largest island, Diego Garcia.
Parliamentary Proceedings and US Relations
The UK is currently progressing legislation to ratify the treaty. On Wednesday, Falconer addressed the House of Commons regarding the matter.
He stated,
"There was support from the US administration for this treaty, which has not changed."
Falconer acknowledged recent statements from the US President, describing them as "very significant," and said,
"And as I told the house we are now discussing those concerns with the United States directly. We have a process going through Parliament in relation to the treaty.
We will bring that back to Parliament at the appropriate time. We are pausing for discussions with our American counterparts."
Earlier, a spokesperson for the Prime Minister told reporters the UK's position remained unchanged, with the focus on "discussions with the US on next steps."
US President Trump's Opposition to the Deal
The deal's future has been cast into uncertainty following President Trump's recent comments on his Truth Social platform, urging Sir Keir not to "give away Diego Garcia," the site of the UK-US military base.
Trump stated,
"this land should not be taken away from the UK"and described the agreement as
"a blight on our great ally."
These remarks came despite the US Department of State officially endorsing the UK government's plan just one day earlier.
