Professor of International Law Payam Akhavan has stated the Maldives will not lose territory in its dispute with Mauritius regarding the maritime boundary surrounding the Chagos Islands at the International Tribunal of the Law of the Sea (ITLOS). Professor Akhavan, a member of the Maldives legal team, made the statement while speaking via video conferencing at a press conference held at the President’s Office. He said the Maldives does not stand to lose any territory in the dispute, even if the Maldives votes in favour of Mauritius receiving control of the Chagos Islands.
During the press conference, Professor Akhavan detailed that the Maldives will not lose any of its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) regardless of the outcome of the dispute. Professor Akhavan said the dispute is not about winning or losing, but more so about the right technique in drawing the maritime boundary, adding that people have misunderstood the dispute and think the Maldives should have the whole disputed area. He also showed a map of the area in dispute, which showed the overlapping maritime boundaries of the Maldives and the Chagos Islands. He said the United Nations conventions state that every coast has a 200-mile EEZ. He said, to the south of the Maldives, there have been no maritime boundary agreements in large part because of the dispute between Mauritius and the United Kingdom (UK) as to who is the rightful sovereign of the Chagos Islands, which has prevented the Maldives from concluding an agreement to determine its maritime boundaries.
The Spokesperson at the President’s Office Miuvaan Mohamed said the decision to challenge Mauritius on its maritime boundary was based on national interest and not due to political influence, and he assured that it will not hinder the country’s diplomatic relations with other nations.
Attorney General’s Office (AGO) earlier stated the Maldives has not reversed its stand on the dispute against Mauritius at ITLOS regarding the Chagos Islands. It stated that the dispute is concerning concerning the delimitation of the maritime boundary between Mauritius and the Maldives in the Indian Ocean. It also cleared misunderstandings by stating that the Maldives had agreed with the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice for the UK to give up control of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius and that this decision will not affect the current dispute with Mauritius regarding the maritime boundary near the Chagos Islands.