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British national security advisor Jonathan Powell will discuss an agreement proposed on the Chagos Islands with his American counterpart Mike Waltz in Washington this week, according to people familiar with the issue.
Great Britain seeks the approval of the United States for the terms of the agreement which would put the sovereignty of the British territory abroad in the Indian Ocean in Mauritius, in exchange for the guarantee of the future in the medium term of a crucial military base of the United Kingdom on Diego Garcia.
Although the agreement was stated by the British government and the recently elected Mauritian administration, the United States has also taken an interest in the most part of this joint military base which is on the largest atoll of the archipelago .
London and Port Louis are both preparing to the verdict of the administration of Donald Trump, following the past criticisms of the senior allies of the American president – including Waltz and Marco Rubio, who is now Secretary of State.
The United Kingdom informed the Trump team about the agreement. A person familiar with talks said London hoped that the American agencies concerned would have time to discuss the agreement before Powell meets Waltz, but it was not clear if the debate interinstitutions would occur in time.
This week marks the second trip of Powell across the Atlantic in recent months, after having traveled with the chief of staff of Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, Morgan McSweeney to meet upper members of the Trump team – Y including Waltz – in December.
Powell and Waltz should discuss a wide range of questions beyond the Chagos Islands Agreement.
Rubio and the Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the United Kingdom, David Lammy, briefly discussed the proposal during their first telephone call last week, during which the US Secretary of State warned against “influence Maligne “from China, and the couple should dive into details when they meet.
Mauritian officials expect it to take place at the Munich security conference next week. The Mauritian administration floated on March 12, its national independence day, as a possible date to sign the treaty, according to British officials.
Mauritian Prime Minister Navin Ramgolam publicly reported his support for the recently renegotiated agreement on Tuesday, a decision that was considered positively by British officials.
Ramgoalm had rejected the previous proposal which was agreed by Great Britain with his predecessor before his arrival in power during an election of landslide last in the fall.
The United Kingdom has agreed that Mauritius will have “complete sovereignty” on the islands and that the 99-year-old initial lease of the United Kingdom in Diego Garcia will only be extended with the agreement of the two countries, Ramgoam told the Mauritian Parliament .
He said the agreement under his predecessor, Pravind Jugnauth, allowed the United Kingdom to unilaterally extend the lease for 40 years.
Ramgoalm added that payments for the lease will be loaded at the front and protected against inflation, which would increase them considerably in real terms.
The two countries are now expecting American comments on new conditions, said Ramgolam, who added that the agreement was “ready to sign”
“President Trump is not a wolf. Whether he cannot see whether the agreement is not good or not, “said Ramgolam, adding:” I am unable to impose a calendar “for the completion of the agreement.
Ramgoalam said that within the framework of the revised agreement, British payments in Mauritius under the lease would increase with inflation over the duration of 99 years, replacing a previous fixed rate.
“It seemed that someone who did not know mathematics negotiated,” the previous agreement, he said. “THE [US dollar] The exchange rate would be fixed [for the 99 years]. Any ordinary student of fifth form or sixth form would be suitable that inflation exists. »»
Several people knowing the process have questioned its account, claiming that the British text of the initial agreement mentioned in “indexed” payments, even if it has not specifically linked to inflation.
The people suggested that Ramgolam had an interest acquired in criticizing the agreement drawn up by their predecessor.
Ramgolam, 77, and Jugnauth represent rival dynasties in Mauritian politics who have clashed on the Chagos islands since Maurice won the independence of the United Kingdom in 1968.
The Financial Times reported for the first time last month that the United Kingdom had proposed to pay Mauritius around 90 million pounds sterling per year for the initial lease of Diego Garcia at 99 years old.
The British government has avoided officially confirming the financial regulations, insisting that the details are confidential.
