Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid has said that the previous government missed the last opportunity to recognise the Chagos Islands as a territory of the Maldives. He made the statement at a press conference held at the President's Office to share information regarding the Maldives-Mauritius maritime boundary dispute
Speaking at the press conference, Minister Shahid said that no constitution drafted in the Maldives since 1932 has ever mentioned Chagos Islands as part of the country's sovereign territory. He said that the constitution is to be followed and not violated by any state institution.
Additionally, Minister Shahid said the government of the United Kingdom (UK) and the government of the Maldives had signed an agreement in 1992 on the 200-nautical mile dispute between the Maldives and Chagos. He said the agreement also provides for the settlement of maritime disputes in an equidistance manner. He said the Cabinet Secretary of Mauritius visited the Maldives on October 21, 2010. He added the Maldives agreed during the talks that Chagos is a sovereign territory of Mauritius.
Furthermore, Minister Shahid said that in 2017 Mauritius submitted a resolution to the United Nations (UN) stating that the sovereign Chagos is under Mauritian jurisdiction and that the people there have been forcibly evicted. Therefore, he said that the resolution calls for the return of the original inhabitants and the handover of Chagos to Mauritius. In addition, he said the Maldives voted against the resolution at the UN.
Minister Shahid said that the previous administration had the opportunity to appeal the case to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), but remained silent. Therefore, he said the government missed the last opportunity to make the Chagos Islands a part of the Maldives. He added the government would continue to seek the largest area available to the Maldives under international law.