Burnham pledges full effort to revive Chagos handover deal before Trump meeting

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham told Mauritian Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam that the United Kingdom will pursue every avenue to finalize a treaty handing sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius while keeping the Diego Garcia military base under a 99-year lease. The agreement, prompted by an International Court of Justice ruling, has been on hold since April after the Trump administration raised security and cost concerns.

Burnham made the remarks during a phone call preceding his upcoming bilateral meeting with US President Donald Trump, who previously called the deal “an act of great stupidity.” A readout from the Mauritian side said Burnham remains determined to secure ratification together with the United States. The proposal has drawn criticism from Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, who questioned the focus on the territory amid domestic spending pressures. Burnham also highlighted broader cooperation with Mauritius on climate, illicit finance and trade, and expects foreign ministers to meet at the UN General Assembly.