Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu has written to UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham, urging him to reopen talks over the sovereignty of the Chagos Islands rather than proceeding with a planned handover to Mauritius.

In a statement released on Tuesday by the Maldives presidential office, Muizzu emphasised "the importance of meaningful dialogue between the UK and the Maldives on matters concerning the sovereignty of the Chagos archipelago."

The Maldives government maintains that its claim to the islands is backed by historical ties and geographical proximity. The Maldives lies approximately 500 kilometres from the archipelago, while Mauritius is more than four times that distance away.

The Chagos Islands are home to the Diego Garcia military base, the largest island in the archipelago and a strategically significant location in the Indian Ocean, midway between Asia and Africa. The UK leases the base to the United States under a 99-year agreement.

In his letter, Muizzu "expressed the Maldives' concerns regarding the UK's decision to proceed with the handover of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius." He said he was "deeply disappointed" that the UK had not consulted the Maldives before agreeing to cede sovereignty of the archipelago, and urged Burnham to "rectify this oversight by your predecessor."

Burnham's predecessor, Keir Starmer, finalised a deal in May 2025 to transfer sovereignty over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. The multibillion-dollar agreement was structured to allow the UK to retain operational control of the Diego Garcia base.

Muizzu also highlighted "the shared history and cultural ties between the Maldives and Chagos, as well as the Maldives' longstanding support for major marine conservation and scientific research expeditions in the region."

The deal has faced significant obstacles. Last April, the UK set aside Starmer's legislation to return the islands to Mauritius following a lack of support from US President Donald Trump. Mauritius subsequently pledged to "spare no effort" to reclaim the archipelago.

A UK Foreign Office spokesperson was quoted on Tuesday as saying that "the question of sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago is a matter for the UK and Mauritius, which is why the previous government launched negotiations with Mauritius on the issue in 2022, rather than with the Maldives."