The Maldives has asked the UK to restart talks about the sovereignty of the Chagos Islands, a group of islands in the Indian Ocean. Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu wrote to UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham, requesting "meaningful dialogue" on the issue. Muizzu expressed disappointment that the UK did not consult the Maldives when former Prime Minister Keir Starmer agreed to transfer sovereignty of the islands to Mauritius in 2023. In May 2025, the UK government under Starmer signed an agreement with Mauritius to hand over the Chagos Islands. In exchange, the UK would pay £35 billion to lease back the strategically important Diego Garcia military base, which is jointly used by the US and the UK. The deal was prompted by an International Court of Justice ruling that supported Mauritius’s claim to the islands. However, the cost of the agreement is expected to rise by £288 million due to recent Treasury reforms. The deal has not yet been finalized, as US President Donald Trump reportedly criticized it as a "big mistake" and tried to buy the islands from Mauritius. The Maldives claims it has the "most legitimate claim" to the Chagos Islands, citing historic ties between the Maldivian capital, Malé, and the islands. In his letter, Muizzu expressed a willingness to meet with UK officials and discussed the importance of maintaining a strong partnership between the two nations. The letter arrives just days before UK and Maldivian officials are set to meet on 18 September for their third strategic dialogue on defense, climate change, and extremism. A UK Foreign Office spokesperson said the UK continues to engage with the Maldives on various issues but emphasized that the Chagos Islands’ sovereignty is a matter between the UK and Mauritius. The previous UK government began negotiations with Mauritius in 2022, rather than with the Maldives, according to the statement.