Maldives president rejects Mauritius' 'illogical', 'immature' decision to sever diplomatic ties
President Muizzu said the decision by Mauritius was taken without prior consultation or dialogue.
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President Mohamed Muizzu said on Monday that Mauritius’s decision to sever diplomatic relations with the Maldives does not alter the Maldives’ position on sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago.
Mauritius announced last Friday that it would end diplomatic ties following the Maldives’ opposition to the United Kingdom’s decision to transfer the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. The Maldivian government maintains that the islands fall under Maldivian sovereignty.
Responding to questions at a press conference at the President's Office, President Muizzu said the decision by Mauritius was taken without prior consultation or dialogue.
He said the Maldives’ position would remain unchanged and that the government would continue to act in line with its Maldives First policy.
“Mauritius’s decision to sever diplomatic ties with the Maldives does not change the reality. Even if ties are cut, Mauritius has no claim over territory that does not belong to it,” the President said.
He added that if sovereignty over the islands is transferred, it should be to the Maldives.
Diplomatic relations between the Maldives and Mauritius were established on 15 January 1981. The Maldivian Ambassador to Maldives, Masood Imad, currently serves as the non-resident ambassador to Mauritius.
President Muizzu has previously written to the British Prime Minister stating that historical evidence supports the Maldives’ claim to the Chagos Islands. He has also informed the United States government that if the Maldives gains sovereignty over the islands, the United States military base on Diego Garcia would be allowed to continue operations.
The government has said it is considering legal action to challenge the United Kingdom’s decision to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Archipelago to Mauritius.
In his Presidential Address at the opening of the People’s Majlis this year, President Muizzu said the Maldives had decided to withdraw a letter sent by former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih to the Prime Minister of Mauritius regarding the Chagos issue. He also said the Maldives does not accept the ruling of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea on the delimitation of the maritime boundary south of the Maldives, and that Coast Guard vessels have been deployed to patrol the area.
