London, United Kingdom. Britain has paused the process of ratifying a deal to cede sovereignty of the Chagos Archipelago, including Diego Garcia, a British minister told parliament on Wednesday. The pause comes as Britain holds discussions with the United States.
Deal and lease arrangements
Last year Prime Minister Keir Starmer agreed a deal to transfer sovereignty of the Indian Ocean islands to Mauritius while keeping control of Diego Garcia through a 99-year lease that preserved U.S. operations at the base.
U.S. reaction and parliamentary pause
U.S. President Donald Trump last week renewed his criticism of the agreement, saying Starmer was making a “big mistake”.
Foreign Office minister Hamish Falconer told lawmakers on Wednesday that the process of ratifying the deal in the British parliament had been paused and that talks were taking place with the United States.
“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,” Falconer said.
What do you think the pause in ratification could mean for the future of the Chagos agreement?
