UK national security adviser Jonathan Powell will discuss a proposed deal over the Chagos Islands with his US counterpart Mike Waltz in Washington this week, according to people familiar with the matter.
Britain is seeking US approval for the terms of the deal that would hand sovereignty of the UK overseas territory in the Indian Ocean to Mauritius, in exchange for securing the medium-term future of a crucial UK-US military base on Diego Garcia.
Although the agreement has been drawn up by the British government and the recently elected Mauritian administration, the US has also taken a close interest given this joint military base that lies on the largest atoll in the archipelago.