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UK National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell will discuss a proposed agreement on the Chagos Islands with his US counterpart Mike Waltz in Washington this week, according to people familiar with the matter.
Britain is seeking US approval for the terms of the agreement that would give the sovereignty of the UK’s external territory in the Indian Ocean in Mauritius, in exchange for securing the mid-term future of an important UK-Military Base in Diego Garcia.
Although the agreement has been drafted by the British government and the recently elected Mauritian administration, the US has also received a close interest given this common military base that lies in the largest atmosplago.
London and Port Louis are both making a judgment of Donald Trump’s administration, following past plan criticism from the old US president’s allies – including Waltz and Marco Rubio, who is now secretary of state.
This week marks Powell’s second Atlantic journey in recent months after he traveled with Prime Minister Sir Starmer Morgan McSweeney chief of Keir Morgan Mcsweeney to meet top Trump team members – including Waltz – in December.
Powell and Waltz are expected to discuss a wide range of issues beyond the Chagos Islands agreement.
Foreign Secretary Rubio and the United Kingdom David Lammy discussed the proposal briefly during their first phone call last week, during which the US Secretary of State warned of China’s “malignant influence”, and the duo are set to reveal details when they meet.
Mauritian officials expect this to take place at the Munich Security Conference next week. The Mauritian administration sailed on March 12, its national independence day, as a possible date for signing the treaty, according to British officials.
Mauritian Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam publicly signaled his support for the recent renegotiated agreement on Tuesday, a move that was positively viewed by UK officials.
Ramgoolam had rejected the previous proposal agreed by Britain with his predecessor before coming to power in the landslide elections last fall.
The United Kingdom has agreed that Mauritius will have “full sovereignty” over the islands and that the 99-year-old United Kingdom’s Diego Garcia will only be extended to the two countries’ agreement, Ramgoolam told the Mauritian Parliament.
He said the agreement under his predecessor, Pravind Jugnauth, allowed the UK to unilaterally extend the rent for 40 years.
Ramgoolam added that the payment for rent would be charged money and protected from inflation, which would significantly encourage them in real terms.
Both countries are now waiting for reactions in the US for new conditions, said Ramgoolam, who added that the deal was “ready to sign”
“President Trump is not a wolf. Let him see if the deal is not good or not, “Ramgoolam said, adding,” I am unable to impose a schedule on it “on the conclusion of the deal.
Ramgoolam said that under the revised agreement, UK payment to Mauritius under rent will increase with inflation for the 99-year term, replacing a previous fixed rate.
“It seemed that someone who did not know the negotiated mathematics” the previous deal, he said. “The exchange rate (US dollar) would be fixed (for 99 years). Anyway a common fifth or sixth -shaped student would agree that inflation exists. “
Some people with knowledge of the process questioned his account, saying that the UK text of the initial agreement referred to “indexed” payments, although it did not specifically associate them with inflation.
People suggested that Ramgoolam had a given interest in criticizing the agreement drafted by his predecessor.
Ramgoolam, 77, and Jugsnaouth represent rival dynasties in Mauritian politics that clashed on the Chagos Islands after Mauritius gained independence from the UK in 1968.
The Financial Times reported for the first time last month that the United Kingdom had offered to pay Mauritius about 90 million or a year for Diego Garcia’s 99-year-old lease.
The UK government has avoided official confirmation of the financial solution, insisting that the details are confidential.
