UK pauses Mauritius payments as Chagos agreement faces US opposition
Britain has placed annual payments of at least £120 million to Mauritius on hold while it reviews an agreement over the Chagos Islands, the Guardian reported. Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said the deal could not proceed without US support after Donald Trump declined to back it.
The UK government has placed annual payments to Mauritius on hold while it reviews an agreement concerning the Chagos Islands, according to the Guardian. Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said payments worth at least £120 million would not be made “at this stage”. He also said the agreement “can’t go ahead without US support”.
The decision followed Donald Trump’s refusal to back the deal. The supplied material does not explain the terms of the agreement beyond the planned payments to Mauritius, nor does it state how long the review is expected to last. The Chagos Islands include Diego Garcia, a strategically important military base referred to in the report.
The available extract does not provide details about the proposed arrangements for the base or the positions of the British, Mauritian and US governments beyond Streeting’s comments. The pause means the annual payments are not currently being made while the government reconsiders the agreement. The source did not say whether the deal has been formally cancelled or whether negotiations with Mauritius are continuing.
No response from the Mauritian government was included in the supplied material.
This independently written report is based on information supplied by the named publisher. Vertrix News has not independently verified the source report.