The British government has said that the issue of sovereignty over the Chagos Islands—currently used as a joint UK-US military base—is not a matter involving the Maldives, following an invitation sent to British Prime Minister Andrew Burnham to formally discuss the dispute.
The President’s Office noted that in his correspondence, President Mohamed Muizzu highlighted the Maldives' concerns regarding the UK’s decision to transfer the Chagos Archipelago to Mauritius. Responding to the invitation, a UK Foreign Office official told Reuters that while the UK continues to engage with the Maldives on various matters, this specific issue remains bilateral.
"However, the question of sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago is a matter for the UK and Mauritius, which is why the previous government launched negotiations with Mauritius on the issue in 2022, rather than with the Maldives," a spokesperson for Britain's Foreign Office said in a statement.
Muizzu has sent two letters to the British government asserting that the Maldives has a more legitimate claim to sovereignty over the Chagos Islands, located south of the Maldives. The first letter was dispatched in November 2024, followed by a second in January 2026.
Without responding to the November 10, 2024 letter, the British government proceeded to hand over Chagos to Mauritius in May 2025. Under the agreement, the UK consented to grant sovereignty to Mauritius while leasing the territory back for $100 million per year.
The United States, which operates a major military base on Diego Garcia within the archipelago, initially approved the deal. However, U.S. President Donald Trump later opposed the agreement and exerted pressure on the British government. Muizzu sent his second letter after Trump expressed his dissatisfaction with the deal.
In February, Muizzu also proposed a deal to Trump. In an interview with Newsweek magazine, Muizzu stated that if sovereignty of Chagos were transferred to the Maldives, his administration would allow the continued operation of the base at Diego Garcia. The U.S. government has not officially commented on this proposal.
During his Presidential Address on February 5, Muizzu challenged the ruling by the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) regarding the maritime boundary between the Maldives and Chagos. He announced a decision to include the disputed maritime territory as part of the Maldives' Exclusive Economic Zone.
In response to these developments, Mauritius has suspended diplomatic relations with the Maldives. Following this move, Muizzu heavily criticized Mauritian President Dharambeer Gokhool in a disparaging manner.
