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Diego Garcia: Military Bases

Asked by Priti PatelConservativeMinistry of DefenceTabled Answered 30 June 2025UIN 62642

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to paragraph 3(a) of Annex 1 of the UK/Mauritius Agreement concerning the Chagos Archipelago (CS Mauritius No.1/2025), what the notification process will be for informing Mauritius about (a) overflight and (b) undersea access to the Chagos Islands beyond Diego Garcia for states operating with the United Kingdom or the United States of America; how his Department defines the term upon notification; whether notification should be provided before permitted vessels and aircrafts enter Diego Garcia; what details will be provided through the notification process; who in the Mauritian government will receive the notification; and whether those notifications will be confidential.

Answered by Luke Pollard

Aircraft accessing the Chagos Archipelago beyond Diego Garcia will maintain standard notification practices for flight information regions, which exist in the Indian Ocean flight information zone and other international flight information zones. The United Kingdom will inform Mauritius about undersea access for states operating with the United Kingdom or the United States of America through normal diplomatic channels. Notifications are confidential and will not include classified information.

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