Maldives: Pausing Chagos handover offers chance to renew negotiations

The Maldivian government has welcomed the decision by Britian to shelve the handover of Chagos Islands to Mauritius.

In a statement on Monday, the Foreign Ministry underscored its legitimate interest in the future status and governance of Chagos known locally as Foalhavahi.

The Foreign Ministry stated that the government views this pause “as an opportunity to renew negotiations with the Maldives.”

The Maldives also reiterated its call to the British government to pursue “a fair and equitable outcome that respects the rights of Maldives, supports regional stability, is consistent with international law, and safeguards the long-term sustainability of the Indian Ocean.”

In May 2025, the UK officially agreed to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Archipelago to Mauritius, ending over two centuries of British rule, in exchange for allowing the United States and UK to continue operating the strategically important Diego Garcia military base for the next 99 years.

But the UK recently decided to shelve the plan after opposition from US President Donald Trump.

The plan to hand over Chagos to Mauritius is also opposed by Maldivian President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu’s administration, which asserts that the Maldives has historical claims to the archipelago dating back centuries, and is also geographically closer to the islands than Mauritius.

Mauritius decided to suspend all political relations with the Maldives in February over its stance on Chagos.

A month later, the Maldivian government announced it was pursuing a formal submission to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over its objection to the Chagos deal.