Nasheed: Mauritius ready for talks to restore severed Maldives ties

Mauritius is ready to engage in talks to restore diplomatic ties it served with Maldives over its stance on Chagos, according to former Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed.

Delivering his annual address at the Parliament on February 5, Maldivian President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu reiterated his assertion that the Maldives has historical claims to the archipelago dating back centuries, and is also geographically closer to the islands than Mauritius. He said that his administration had made formal objections to the United Kingdom over its plan to handover Chagos archipelago to Mauritius.

On February 27, Mauritius’ cabinet decided to suspend all diplomatic relations with the Maldives, citing the shift in its stance on Chagos.

Speaking to reporters upon return to Male’ on Saturday after a trip to New Delhi to attend the 10th edition of the Indian Ocean Dialogue (IOD), Nasheed said that he met with Mauritius Foreign Minister Dhananjay (Ritish) Ramful during the summit.

Nasheed said that during the meeting, he asked for a way for the two sides to sit down for talks and reach a peaceful resolution.

“It is not good to not have diplomatic ties with neighboring countries. They are ready. I hope the Foreign Affairs [Ministry] of Maldives also, that the [Maldivian] government and the Mauritius government, make use of this opportunity,” he said, speaking to reporters at the Velana International Airport (VIA).

The day Mauritius severed diplomatic ties with Maldives, Nasheed reacted on X by stating that he found it “very worrying.”

He also expressed hopes both countries will be able to discuss matters and resolve things amicably.

And later, in a WhatsApp group for tourism industry representatives, Nasheed said he does not believe the Maldives needs to back down from its stand while engaging in talks with Mauritius.

“We need to talk to Mauritius, but the Maldives does not need back down,” he wrote.

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 on February 5, Maldivian President Dr Mohamed Muizzu told the Parliament that the government formally submitted objections to the UK on November 8, 2024 and January 18, 2026, rejecting the handover of Chagos to Mauritius.

He also announced the decision to retract a letter sent to Mauritius government by his predecessor, former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih back in 2022, acknowledging Mauritius’ sovereign authority over the Chagos archipelago following the country’s independence from British colonial rule.

He has long asserted that the Maldives is geographically closer, more historically connected, and legally better placed than Mauritius to assert sovereignty over the Chagos Islands, known in the Maldives as Foalhavahi.

This opinion is shared by Nasheed.

The UK decided in April to shelve the plan after opposition from US President Donald Trump.

The Maldives reacted to this by welcoming the decision, and stating that it viewed the pause as "an opportunity to renew negotiations with the Maldives.”