Britain has not paused Chagos Island deal ratification after US criticism
Britain clarified that there is "no pause" in ratifying the deal to cede sovereignty of the Chagos Archipelago.
Chagossian campaigners protesting the British government's deal to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, in London, Britain, Oct 28, 2025. (Photo: REUTERS/Hiba Kola)
LONDON: Britain on Wednesday (Feb 25) rowed back from saying it had paused ratification of a deal to cede sovereignty of the Chagos Archipelago, which is home to a strategically important US-UK air base.
Earlier, a foreign office minister had told parliament that the ratification process had been paused pending talks with the United States, but a spokesperson later said that was not the case.
"There is no pause. We have never set a deadline. Timings will be announced in the usual way," the spokesperson said.
"We are continuing discussions with the US, and we have been clear we will not proceed without their support."
Last year British Prime Minister Keir Starmer agreed a deal to transfer sovereignty of the Indian Ocean islands to Mauritius, while keeping control of Diego Garcia through a 99-year lease that preserved US operations there.
But Trump last week renewed his criticism of that deal, saying Starmer was making a "big mistake".
The bill to ratify the deal is currently in parliament's upper chamber, where a number of objections have been raised, and a debate and vote have not yet been scheduled.
