Efforts to resolve the Chagos deal stalemate

Politics · First reported 5 Nov, 13:15 · Updated 19:49

Image: Wikimedia Commons · NASA Johnson Space Center · Public domain

Andy Burnham has suggested revising the Chagos Islands arrangement to address US concerns, with the Greenland agreement raised as a possible model. The UK, US and Mauritius have agreed to work on further progress by the end of the year.

The proposed UK agreement would transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius while preserving the joint UK-US base on Diego Garcia.
The deal has stalled after Donald Trump criticised it, and the UK government has said it cannot proceed without US support.
Burnham said the UK was discussing changes with the US and suggested the Greenland arrangement might offer an example.
After Burnham met Mauritius’s prime minister at the Commonwealth summit in Antigua, the parties agreed to work on a shared plan for further progress by year-end.
The agreement provides for a 99-year lease of Diego Garcia and payments to Mauritius; the reports give differing descriptions of the payment schedule.

Summary written by Lux AI from 3 articles

Key facts

Proposed arrangement: Transfer sovereignty to Mauritius while retaining the joint UK-US base on Diego Garcia.
Lease: The base would remain under a 99-year lease.
Next step: The parties agreed to work on a shared plan for further progress by the end of the year.
Possible model: Burnham suggested the US-Denmark Greenland arrangement could offer an example.