Thank you for contacting me about the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT), also known as the Chagos Islands.
The UK has exercised continuous sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago since 1814, and committed in 1965 to cede sovereignty of the territory to Mauritius when no longer required for defence purposes.
Following a meeting between the then UK Prime Minister, Liz Truss, and Mauritian Prime Minister Jugnauth at the UN General Assembly, the UK and Mauritius have decided to begin negotiations on the exercise of sovereignty over the BIOT. Through negotiations, and taking into account relevant legal proceedings, it is HM Government's (HMG) intention to secure an agreement on the basis of international law to resolve all outstanding issues, including those relating to the former inhabitants of the Chagos Archipelago.
I am confident that this will allow the UK and Mauritius, as close Commonwealth partners, to strengthen joint work to tackle the regional and global security challenges that face us all, as well as strengthen bilateral cooperation on a range of other issues. The UK will work to do this in cooperation with key allies and partners in the region.
Other areas in which the UK will seek to significantly strengthen our cooperation with Mauritius on are Indian Ocean security, maritime security and marine protection, the conservation of the environment, climate change, respect for human rights, and to tackle illegal migration, illegal fishing, drugs and arms trafficking, as well as bilateral cooperation on a range of other issues.
You may also welcome, as I do, that our two countries have reiterated that any agreement will ensure the continued effective operation of the joint UK/US military base on Diego Garcia, which plays a vital role in regional and global security. HMG also recognises the US’s and India’s interest in this matter and has committed to keep them informed of progress.
I have every confidence that the UK and Mauritius will engage constructively in the negotiations, and I look forward to an agreement hopefully being reached in early 2023.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me