UK Considers Front-Loading Payments for Mauritius in Chagos Agreement
The UK is exploring options to expedite payments to Mauritius in a deal over the Chagos islands, aiming for a swift resolution.
Chagos, Mauritius, UK, Keir Starmer, Navinchandra Ramgoolam, Diego Garcia
London: So, the UK is thinking about speeding up payments to Mauritius as part of a deal about the Chagos islands. This includes a military base that’s pretty important to both the UK and the US.
Apparently, the UK government thinks the deal made last October was a good one. They’re planning to talk with the new Mauritian government soon. They want to make it clear that they’re not going to throw more money into the pot, but they might be open to paying some of it upfront.
One idea is to pay a big chunk of the money all at once instead of spreading it out over the years. Prime Minister Keir Starmer is keen to wrap this up, especially since the new Mauritian Prime Minister, Navinchandra Ramgoolam, is asking if the deal really gives his country what it needs.
The UK is hoping that sorting this out will help secure the military base on Diego Garcia and finally settle a long-standing dispute about who controls the islands. The International Court of Justice said back in 2019 that the UK shouldn’t be in charge of them anymore.
If everything goes through, the UK would give up control of the islands but keep Diego Garcia for 99 years. They’ve agreed to pay Mauritius a yearly amount for the duration of the deal, but no one’s been specific about how much that is.
Ramgoolam’s government is looking for better terms since they’re dealing with a tough economy. They’ve got a new attorney general heading to London soon to talk things over. The country’s financial situation isn’t great, with a big budget deficit looming.
Deputy Prime Minister Paul Berenger has made it clear that they need this money to fix the economic issues left by the previous government, but they’re not willing to accept just anything.
The UK thinks that offering to pay some of the money upfront might help seal the deal. They believe Ramgoolam is more on board with the agreement than Berenger is.
However, the new government’s hesitations have put a hold on finalizing the deal. It might not happen before Donald Trump takes office again, which could complicate things. The previous administration was supportive, but Trump’s team has been critical of the agreement.
Still, the UK is hopeful that Trump won’t block it since the Pentagon and State Department were the ones pushing for this deal in the first place.
[rule_2]