The government has decided to retrieve the letter sent to Mauritius by the previous administration concerning the Foalhavahi maritime issue, citing concerns that it negatively affected the Maldives’ territorial and maritime interests.
President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu said the decision was taken following advice from international legal experts, who noted that the letter sent in August 2022 had implications for the Maldives’ position in relation to the Chagos maritime area and proceedings at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS).
The move comes amid heightened geopolitical attention on the Chagos Archipelago, which hosts the strategically significant Diego Garcia military base, jointly used by the United States and the United Kingdom. The UK has agreed to transfer sovereignty of Chagos to Mauritius, a decision that has drawn criticism from US President Donald Trump on national security grounds.
In an interview with Newsweek, President Muizzu said the Maldives is willing to pursue an alternative arrangement under which the US and UK could continue operating from Diego Garcia if sovereignty were transferred to the Maldives, subject to parliamentary approval. He stressed that such an arrangement would preserve the existing security framework while safeguarding the Maldives’ maritime rights.
Muizzu also highlighted the Maldives’ experience in managing marine conservation areas, noting that Chagos is currently uninhabited and designated as a protected zone—factors that have contributed to the security of the military base.
The President has said the government will work to review and challenge outcomes linked to the Chagos case, including the loss of part of the Maldives’ maritime area, and that a Commission of Inquiry has been established to examine decisions taken by the former administration.
