"The deal would see the UK cede sovereignty of the territory to Mauritius, and pay an average cost of 101m ($136m) a year to lease back a joint UK-US military base on the largest island, Diego Garcia."
"Diego Garcia is a key strategic military asset for both the UK and the US. Ensuring its long-term operational security is and will continue to be our priority - it is the entire reason for the deal."
"We continue to believe the agreement is the best way to protect the long-term future of the base, but we have always said we would only proceed with the deal if it has US support."
The Chagos Islands deal, which would transfer sovereignty from the UK to Mauritius, has been shelved by Sir Keir Starmer amid strained relations with Donald Trump. The US has not formally confirmed its approval, which is necessary for the treaty. Although UK officials are not abandoning the agreement, time has run out to pass the required legislation before Parliament is prorogued. The deal involves leasing back a military base on Diego Garcia, a strategic asset for both the UK and the US, contingent on US support.
Read at www.bbc.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]