Tony Blair’s former chief-of-staff Jonathan Powell has been appointed a special envoy for sovereignty talks on the Chagos Islands.
Mr Powell, who played a key role in the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, has been made the Prime Minister’s Special Envoy for negotiations between the UK and Mauritius on the exercise of sovereignty over the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT)/Chagos Archipelago.
A key issue for the UK and the US is retaining the military base on the island of Diego Garcia which is part of the Chagos Archipelago.
Sovereignty talks started under the previous Tory government led by Rishi Sunak in November 2022.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy said: “Negotiations with Mauritius over the BIOT/Chagos Archipelago are critical to the UK’s security.
“We are determined to protect the long-term, secure and effective operation of the joint UK/US military base on Diego Garcia.”
He added: “Jonathan Powell’s experience working with governments of all colours in the most sensitive international negotiations makes him uniquely qualified to serve as the Prime Minister’s Special Envoy.
“I look forward to working with him as we endeavour to reach a settlement that protects UK interests and those of our partners.”
The Foreign Office stressed that Mr Powell has “extensive experience in negotiations affecting the UK’s national interests in sensitive domestic and international contexts”.
He played a central role in securing the 1998 Belfast/Good Friday Agreement and previously serving as Prime Minister David Cameron’s Special Envoy to Libya between 2014 and 2016.
He will begin his role immediately and his work will involve speaking to key figures in Mauritius and America in a bid to strike a “robust agreement”.
The Foreign Office stressed the “vital role” played by the military base on Diego Garcia for regional and global security.
It added that the aim of the talks was to reach an agreement which protects the UK’s security interests, Chagossian communities, boosts environmental co-operation and builds a long-term strategic relationship with Mauritius as a close Commonwealth partner.
So far 12 rounds of talks have taken place.
Britain has overseen the islands since 1814 and in 1965 detached the Chagos Islands from Mauritius, a British colony that became independent three years later.
The UK went on to lease the Chagos Islands’ biggest island, Diego Garcia, to the United States in 1966, paving the way for the construction of an air base that required the forced removal of around 1,500 people.
Mauritius has said it was unfairly pressured to cede control of the islands during the negotiations, and had agreed only to their temporary use for military purposes.
In 2016, the Foreign Office extended the lease on Diego Garcia until 2036 and said that the expelled islanders would not be allowed to return.
