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British national security adviser Jonathan Powell will discuss the proposed agreement on Chagos Islands with his American colleague Mike Waltz, Washington this week, according to people who are familiar with the issue.
Britain seeks us to approval for the terms of the agreement that would take up sovereignty UK foreign territory In the Indian Ocean to Mauritius, in exchange for the insurance for the medium-term future of the key military base of UK-American American American in the UK at Diego Garcia.
Although the agreement was made by the British government and recently elected Mauritic Administration, now they were also carefully interested in this common military base located on the largest atol in the archipelago.
London and Port Louis both advocate for the administration of Donald Trump’s administration, after the past criticism of the plan of older allies of the US president – including Waltz and Marco Rubio, who are now secretary of state.
This week marks Powell’s second trip over the Atlantic in recent months after traveling with Prime Minister Sir Keira Starmer Morgan McSweeney to meet with older members of the Trump team in December – including Waltz.
Powell and Waltz are expected to talk about a wide range of things beyond Chagos Islands.
Rubio and Foreign Minister, David Lammy, briefly discussed the proposal during their first phone call last week, during which the US Secretary of State alerted the “malicious influence” of China and the couple was set up to redeem into further details when they meet.
Mauritic officials expect this to be held at a safety conference in Munich next week. The Mauri administration floated on March 12, its National Independence Day, as a possible date for signing a contract, according to British officials.
Mauritic Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam publicly on Tuesday hinted at his support from a recent negotiating agreement, which is a move that has been positively watched by the UK officials.
Ramgoolam rejected the previous proposal that Britain had agreed with its predecessor before coming to power last fall in the rink election.
The UK agreed that Mauritius would have a “complete sovereignty” over the islands and that the initial 99-year-old Diego Garcia lease in the UK would extend only with the agreement of both countries, Ramgoolam said the Mauritic parliament.
He said that the contract under his predecessor, Rightind Jugnauth allowed the UK to extend the lease unilaterally for 40 years.
Ramgoolam added that the payments for the lease will be charged and protected from inflation, which would significantly increase them in a real sense.
Both countries are now waiting for US feedback on new terms, said Ramgoolam, who added that the agreement was “ready to sign”
“President Trump is not a wolf. Let him see if the agreement is not good or not,” Ramgoolam said, adding: “I am not able to impose a schedule for him” for the end of the agreement.
Ramgoolam said that, under the revised agreement in the UK, payment to the Mauritius will grow in accordance with the lease with inflation for a 99-year term, replacing the previous fixed rate.
“It seemed that someone who did not know mathematics negotiated” the previous agreement, he said. “ [US dollar] The course would be fixed [for the 99 years]. Any ordinary fifth or six -form student would agree that inflation exists. “
Several people who knew about the process called into question his account, saying that in the UK, the text of the initial agreement referred to “indexed” payments, although he did not particularly relate them to inflation.
People suggested that Ramgooolam had an interest in the criticism of the agreement that had been presented by its predecessor.
Ramgoolam, 77, and Jugnauth represent rival dynasties in Mauritic politics that clashed over the Chagos Islands since Mauritius won independence from the UK in 1968.
The Financial Times first reported last month that the UK had offered to pay Mauritius About £ 90m a year for the starting 99-year-old lease Diego Garcia.
The Government of the UK has avoided the official confirmation of the financial settlement, insisting that the details are confidential.
