Switch the White House newsletter on free of charge
Your guide to what the US election 2024 means for Washington and the world
Jonathan Powell Jonathan Powell, the British national security advisor, will discuss this week with his US counterpart Mike Waltz in Washington in Washington in Washington about the Chagos Islands, according to the matter.
Great Britain is looking for the US permit for the conditions of the deal that the sovereignty of the UK Overseas Territory In the Indian Ocean to Mauritius in exchange for securing the medium -term future of a decisive British military base on Diego Garcia.
Although the agreement of the British government and the recently elected Mauritian The administration, the USA, has been extremely interested in this common military base, which is located on the largest atoll in the archipelago.
London and Port Louis are both prepared for the judgment of Donald Trump’s administration after being criticized to the plan of the senior allies of the US President – including Waltz and Marco Rubio, who is now Foreign Minister.
Great Britain has informed the Trump team about the agreement. A person trusted with the conversations said that London had hoped that the responsible US agencies would have time to discuss the deal before Powell Waltz hits, but it was unclear whether the debate between the agencies would take place in good time.
This week, Powell’s second trip through the Atlantic in the past few months after he had traveled with the chief of staff of Prime Minister Sir Keir Starrer, Morgan McSeeney, with high -ranking members of Trump’s team – including Waltz.
Powell and Waltz are expected to discuss a variety of affairs beyond the Chagos Islands.
Rubio and British Foreign Minister David Lammy discussed the proposal during their first telephone call last week in which the US foreign minister had warned of China’s “malignant influence”, and the couple should be immersed in further details if they meet.
Mauritic officials expect this to take place at the Munich Security Conference next week. According to British civil servants, the Mauritian government has hovers on March 12, its national independence day, as a possible date for the signing of the contract.
Mauritian Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam signaled his support for the recently newly negotiated deal on Tuesday, a step that was positively viewed by British officials.
Ramgoolam had rejected the previous proposal, which was agreed by Great Britain with its predecessor, before he came to power last autumn when he was elected.
Great Britain has agreed that Mauritius will have “complete sovereignty” over the islands and that the original 99-year lease in the Great Britain by Diego Garcia will only be extended with the agreement of both countries, Ramgoolam told Mauritian Parliament.
He said that the deal under his predecessor Pravind Jugnauth had allowed Great Britain to unilaterally extend the lease for 40 years.
Ramgoolam added that the payments for the rental agreement are protected from front charge and from inflation, which would significantly strengthen it in real terms.
Both countries are now waiting for the US feedback on the new conditions, said Ramgoolam, who was added that the agreement was “ready to sign”, said Ramgoolam.
“President Trump is not a wolf. Let him see whether the agreement is not good or not, “said Ramgoolam and added:” I am unable to provide him with a schedule “to complete the deal.
RamGoolam said that as part of the revised offer, the payments in Great Britain to Mauritius would increase with inflation over the term of 99 years as part of the rental agreement and replace an earlier fixed interest rate.
“It seemed that someone who didn’t know the math,” he said. “The (US dollar) exchange rate would be determined (for the 99 years). Every ordinary student of the fifth or sixth form would agree that inflation exists. “
Several people with knowledge of the process questioned his account and said that the British text of the first agreement referred to “indexed” payments, although it did not specially connected them to inflation.
The people suggested that Ramgoolam have a reasonable interest in criticizing the agreement made by its predecessor.
Ramgoolam, 77, and Jugnhaauth are competing dynasties in Mauritic politics, which have come together over the Chagos Islands since Mauritius in 1968.
The Financial Times reported for the first time last month that Great Britain had it offered to pay Mauritius About 90 million GBP per year for the first 99-year rental agreement of Diego Garcia.
The British government officially avoided the financial agreement and insist that the details are confidential.
