Labour has opened the door to handing the Chagos Islands back to Mauritius.
The islands, located in the Indian Ocean, have been British-owned since 1814 and include Diego Garcia, which hosts a US military base.
Plans to return the Chagos Islands to Mauritius were set to be dropped last year amid opposition from Grant Shapps, then the defence secretary, and concerns about Mauritius’s alliance with China.
But asked by Lord Kempsell, the Government said it was “too early” to predict the outcome of negotiations.
Baroness Chapman, a Foreign Office minister, said: “The Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary met the Mauritian prime minister on July 23 and committed to continuing negotiations on the exercise of sovereignty over Chagos. “It is too early to speculate on timelines or conclusions, but it is the Government’s priority to resolve this long-standing and important issue, including ensuring the long-term secure and effective operation of the joint UK-US military base on Diego
The islands, located in the Indian Ocean, have been British-owned since 1814 and include Diego Garcia, which hosts a US military base.
Plans to return the Chagos Islands to Mauritius were set to be dropped last year amid opposition from Grant Shapps, then the defence secretary, and concerns about Mauritius’s alliance with China.
But asked by Lord Kempsell, the Government said it was “too early” to predict the outcome of negotiations.
Baroness Chapman, a Foreign Office minister, said: “The Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary met the Mauritian prime minister on July 23 and committed to continuing negotiations on the exercise of sovereignty over Chagos. “It is too early to speculate on timelines or conclusions, but it is the Government’s priority to resolve this long-standing and important issue, including ensuring the long-term secure and effective operation of the joint UK-US military base on Diego
1 yr. ago
