Maldives demands Chagos talks with Burnham

The president of the Maldives has demanded fresh talks with Andy Burnham over the sovereignty of the Chagos Islands. Mohamed Muizzu urged the Prime Minister to begin "meaningful dialogue" about the archipelago, in a letter sent on Tuesday. It is understood that Mr Burnham wants to continue with Sir Keir Starmer's plan to hand over sovereignty of the islands to Mauritius. But the Maldives has always maintained that it has a stronger claim to the strategic territory. Britain's deal with Mauritius was announced last May but has not yet been ratified following criticism from Donald Trump. The US president changed his mind about the deal after Sir Keir refused to let him use British military bases to launch offensive strikes on Iran. The letter sent by the Maldivian president spoke of his "deep disappointment that the Maldives was not consulted with regard to the proposed change of sovereignty", and urged Mr Burnham to "rectify this oversight by your predecessor". The Maldives government maintains that its claim to the Chagos Islands is backed by historical ties and geographical proximity, being some 310 miles away, while Mauritius is more than four times that distance. The archipelago is known in the Maldives as Foalhavahi, and the country's officials say their claim is based on centuries of maritime and cultural links. Mr Muizzu's government is understood to be considering legal action if the planned handover goes ahead. He wrote: "It is our clear position that we wish to engage the Government of the United Kingdom in meaningful dialogue about the sovereignty of the Chagos Archipelago. "I would welcome the opportunity to meet and discuss this important issue and enhance relations between our two countries. "It is my hope that a renewed partnership between the United Kingdom and the Maldives can bring stability to the Indian Ocean at a time of global uncertainty." The UK and the Maldives are set to meet on Sept 18 for a third Strategic Dialogue to discuss their joint efforts on defence, extremism and climate change. Mr Muizzu has previously spoken against the planned Chagos deal, with his office describing the handover as "deeply concerning". He sent two letters of objection to David Lammy, the former foreign secretary, and the pair spoke over the phone. The initial Chagos deal set out by Starmer's government agreed that Britain would pay millions of pounds a year to rent back the island of Diego Garcia, which hosts a joint UK-US air base, on a 99-year lease. The plan to cede sovereignty over the Indian Ocean archipelago has been in limbo since Mr Trump described the agreement as a "great act of stupidity". On Monday, The Telegraph revealed that the cost of the current Chagos deal is set to rise by £288m under John Healey's Treasury reforms. The cost of renting back the Diego Garcia air base was initially estimated at £3.39bn but, following a change in Treasury rules, this is set to rise to £3.68bn, according to The Telegraph's analysis of Government figures. Mr Burnham risks legal action from Mauritius if he does not proceed with the handover, but risks angering the White House if he does. Mauritian government sources told The Telegraph that it was probable the country would launch a diplomatic push for the deal to be revived at a United Nations summit in late September. A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We continue to speak to our counterparts in the Maldives on a regular basis about a range of issues. "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." Try full access to The Telegraph free today. Unlock their award-winning website and essential news app, plus useful tools and expert guides for your money, health and holidays.