Starmer speaks to Mauritian PM directly for first time over Chagos deal

Sir Keir Starmer and his Mauritian counterpart have spoken directly for the first time about the Chagos Islands deal.

The Prime Minister told Navin Ramgoolam he wants “strong protections” for the UK-US military base on the island chain as talks to hand them over to Mauritius continue.

Sir Keir and the Mauritian leader spoke on Friday afternoon, Downing Street said, the first time the two leaders have done so directly since they both came to power.

The UK has been negotiating a deal with Mauritius to hand over control of the Chagos archipelago since 2022, when the Conservatives were in power.

The Labour Government has continued the talks, with the aim of retaining control of the joint US-UK military base on Diego Garcia, the largest of the islands.

The UK plans to lease back the strategically important base for 99 years at a reported annual cost of around £90 million.

Giving a readout of the call between the two leaders, a Downing Street spokesperson said they had begun by “reflecting on their first months in office and discussed the strong relationship between the UK and Mauritius, which they looked forward to expanding”.

The spokesperson added: “The Prime Minister underlined the need for a deal to secure the military base on Diego Garcia that ensures strong protections, including from malign influence, and that will allow the base to continue to operate.

“Both leaders reiterated their commitment to a deal, and they looked forward to speaking again soon.”

The deal could prove challenging for the UK’s relationship with the new Trump administration, as members of the new US president’s senior team are sceptical of it.

Critics, including new US secretary of state Marco Rubio, are among those worried ceding control of the islands could weaken Western influence in the Indian Ocean and strengthen the reach of China.

Donald Trump and Sir Keir did not discuss the deal in their first call since the US election.