US lauds 'historic' UK-Mauritius agreement securing future of strategic Diego Garcia base

Washington: The United States on Thursday welcomed the "historic agreement" between the United Kingdom and Mauritius on the exercise of sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago and securing the strategically-important UK-US military base on Diego Garcia, after two years of intense negotiations.

The agreement sees Mauritius assume sovereignty over the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) of Chagos Archipelago, with the UK authorised to exercise the sovereign rights of Mauritius on Diego Garcia.

The political agreement also means that it will be for the first time in more than 50 years that the status of the strategic base will be undisputed and legally secure.

"I applaud the historic agreement and conclusion of the negotiations between the Republic of Mauritius and the United Kingdom on the status of the Chagos Archipelago. It is a clear demonstration that through diplomacy and partnership, countries can overcome long-standing historical challenges to reach peaceful and mutually beneficial outcomes," said US President Joe Biden in a statement released by the White House.

The agreement had strong support from several countries, including the US which has joint operation of the strategic military base.

"I would like to congratulate my UK counterpart John Healey on the historic agreement reached between the United Kingdom and Mauritius that protects the long-term, secure, and effective operation of the UK-US military base on Diego Garcia. This agreement will safeguard the strategic security interests of our two nations and our partners in the Indo-Pacific region," US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin posted on X.

Earlier in the day, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke to the Prime Minister of Mauritius, Pravind Jugnauth, reiterating the importance of reaching the deal to protect the continued operation of the UK-US military base on Diego Garcia.

"This government inherited a situation where the long-term, secure operation of the Diego Garcia military base was under threat, with contested sovereignty and ongoing legal challenges. Today's agreement secures this vital military base for the future," commented UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy.

He detailed that Diego Garcia has seen a small number of vulnerable migrants arrive since 2021, subsequently launching asylum claims.

"It will strengthen our role in safeguarding global security, shut down any possibility of the Indian Ocean being used as a dangerous illegal migration route to the UK, as well as guaranteeing our long-term relationship with Mauritius, a close Commonwealth partner," he added.