Maldives invites UK PM Burnham for official talks on Chagos dispute

Maldivian President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has invited UK Prime Minister Andrew Burnham for official talks and engagement on matters concerning the sovereignty of the Chagos Islands.

According to a statement released by the President’s Office, the invitation was extended in a letter to PM Burnham on Tuesday, in which President Muizzu expressed the Maldives’ concerns regarding the UK’s decision to proceed with the handover of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.

He highlighted the shared history and cultural ties between the Maldives and Chagos, as well as the Maldives’ longstanding support for major marine conservation and scientific research expeditions in the region.

According to the President’s Office, President Muizzu “reaffirmed the Maldives’ commitment to maintaining a reliable and constructive partnership with the United Kingdom on matters relating to Chagos, while safeguarding the legitimate interests of the Maldivian state and its people.”

In his letter, President Muizzu reiterated the importance of meaningful dialogue between the UK and Maldives on matters concerning the sovereignty of the Chagos Archipelago.

“He further expressed hope that renewed engagement and partnership between the two countries would contribute to stability and security in the Indian Ocean, particularly at a time of increasing global uncertainty,” states the President’s Office.

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 US and UK to continue operating the strategically important Diego Garcia military base for the next 99 years.

But the UK decided in April to shelve the plan after opposition from US President Donald Trump, who, in February, called the deal a “big mistake.”

The plan to hand over Chagos to Mauritius is also opposed by President 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.

The Maldivian Foreign Ministry had welcomed the decision by Britian to shelve the handover of Chagos Islands to Mauritius, stating that the government viewed the pause “as an opportunity to renew negotiations.”

Mauritius had 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.