UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Mauritius Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam agreed to advance planning by year-end on Diego Garcia’s operation and the security interests of three countries, the UK government said.
The two leaders met during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting retreat in Antigua. A government readout said Britain would work with Mauritius and the United States on arrangements to keep the base operating while accounting for each country’s security interests.
Before the retreat, Burnham spoke with World Bank President Ajay Banga about UK debt priorities and ways to broaden sustainable finance options for smaller and developing economies. The Commonwealth and Britain’s G20 presidency were among the channels discussed, the readout said. The conversation follows EconoTimes’ coverage of the UK’s debt and development finance agenda at CHOGM.
In a separate meeting, Burnham reaffirmed the importance of UK-India ties with India’s External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. Both expressed support for bringing the conflict in Ukraine to an end, according to the readout.
The UK and Mauritius aim to make further progress on their shared planning before the end of the year.
