The Attorney General's Office says if the Maldives wins its case against Mauritius over the disputed area near the Chagos islands, the Maldives would gain territory of 4,687 square miles.
Mauritius and the Maldives have been fighting over a 37,000-square-mile expanse of the Indian Ocean before the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, with both claiming the fish-rich waters as their own economic zones.
In a statement, the Attorney General's Office said that it had compiled its written response to the tribunal after consulting with relevant Ministries and government organizations.
It further said that since the dispute is vital to a fishing nation such as the Maldives, individuals who had education and experience on the matter were selected to compile the government's response.
The statement also said that the Maldives has an issue with how Mauritius established the base points of the disputed area and highlighted that its base points started from Blenheim reef which is visible during low tide elevation.
It said that based on how the international courts have made decisions on similar matters and if the court supports how the Maldives has proposed to divide the disputed region, the Maldives will gain an area of 4,687 square miles.
The Attorney General's office added that this was why the Maldives would oppose the Mauritian's proposal.
Under the 1982 U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, countries with ocean borders have control of the waters extending 230 miles from their coast.
