UK signs deal to hand over Chagos Islands to Mauritius

International desk:

United Kingdom signed an agreement  handing sovereignty over the contested and strategically located Chagos Islands to Mauritius. The move, the British government said, ensures the future of a US-UK military base that is vital to British security. Under the agreement, the United Kingdom will pay Mauritius 136 million dollars per year to lease back the base for at least 99 years. The Indian Ocean archipelago is home to a strategically important naval and bomber base on the largest of the islands, Diego Garcia.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said, the deal, which involves a lease on the base for 99 years and beyond and is in the UK’s national interest. He said, the base, operated by US forces, is crucial for British counter-terrorism and intelligence and is right at the foundation of country’s safety and security at home.