Uk Government position on Chagos deal ‘unchanged’, says Number 10

The Government’s position on the Chagos deal ‘remains unchanged’ and the UK is “finalising” the text of the treaty, Number 10 has said, after it was reported that the new Mauritian prime minister has concerns about the agreement.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said on Wednesday that final details of the legal text of the treaty are being worked out, with the plan to put them before Parliament for scrutiny next year.

Mauritian prime minister

It follows reports by the BBC earlier this week that new Mauritian prime minister Navin Ramgoolam expressed reservations about the deal that was struck earlier this year, after a meeting with the UK’s national security adviser Jonathan Powell on Monday.

The UK agreed to hand over the Chagos Islands, also known as the British Indian Ocean Territory, to Mauritius in October.

Asked about the reports, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “The UK’s position on this remains unchanged, we have always said that we look forward to engaging with the new Mauritian government and that’s exactly what we’re doing in order to progress the deal.

“We are now finalising the details of legal texts, the treaty, and will be coming forward for parliamentary scrutiny as part of the ratification process next year.”

Legal text

Details on the legal text are in the process of being finalised, and it is thought there is no discussion around the terms of the treaty.

The spokesman added: “We are finalising the details with the Mauritian government – the legal text -and we will come forward for parliamentary scrutiny as part of the ratification process next year.”

He went on: “We look forward to engaging with the new Mauritian government and progressing the deal and finalising the text of the treaty.”

The Government has said that the agreement has secured the long-term future of a joint US-UK military base on Diego Garcia, the largest of the islands.

However, critics have said it risks allowing China to gain a military foothold in the region.

The agreement over the continued UK-US military presence on Diego Garcia is expected to run for 99 years with an option to renew, with Britain paying an annual sum of money.