Paramasivum P. Vyapoory, the acting president of Mauritius, told Sputnik that the island nation was grateful to Russia for its support at a UN vote on the status of Chagos Archipelago
SOCHI (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 22nd October, 2019) Paramasivum P. Vyapoory, the acting president of Mauritius, told Sputnik that the island nation was grateful to Russia for its support at a UN vote on the status of Chagos Archipelago.
Mauritius and the United Kingdom both lay claim to the islands. In May, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution urging the United Kingdom to leave the archipelago within six months. The resolution was backed by a 116-6 vote, with 56 abstentions.
"I would like to use this opportunity here to reiterate our thanks to the government of Russia for its support for our efforts to exercise our sovereignty on our entire territory, which includes Chagos archipelago; Russia voted in our favor when the case was taken in the United Nations last May," the president said.
In addition to the UN resolution, the International Court of Justice ruled in February that the United Kingdom should withdraw from the archipelago, where it had built a military base jointly with the United States. However, London has insisted it was certain of its claim.
" It is very disappointing however that the UK has chosen to disregard the advisory opinion of the ICJ and the UNGA resolution and continues to do so, there is no indication that the UK will eventually withdraw from the Chagos archipelago," the president said.
He remarked that there were no legal means to force the UK to comply with the UN resolution.
"However Mauritius looks forward to the continued support of other countries, including the Russian Federation, which voted in favor of the UN resolution and we thank you for that ... Such support could include formally opposing any stand taken by the UK at any multilateral or bilateral meeting, by which the UK purports to assert its rights in relation to the Chagos archipelago. This is where you can help a lot," Vyapoory said.
Mauritius will continue working with all its partners, the African Union, in particular, to put " diplomatic and political pressure on the UK," he added.
Between 1968 and 1973, the United Kingdom deported population of the Diego Garcia island at the archipelago to the neighboring territories in order to build the base. Chagossians, forcibly removed from their homes, have filed numerous lawsuits contesting the deportation and the compensation they were supposed to receive for it.
