President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has decided to withdraw the letter sent by former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih to the Prime Minister of Mauritius regarding the Chagos dispute.
This was announced in the Presidential Address delivered by him today. The President made this decision following advice from international experts that the letter sent by President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih to the Prime Minister of Mauritius on August 22, 2022, had negatively impacted the security of the Maldives' sovereign territory.
"I announce at this moment, in front of you honorable members of Parliament, on behalf of this proud Maldivian state and all beloved Maldivian citizens, that the Maldives has decided to withdraw that letter," he announced.
The President stated that during the previous government's tenure, in the case submitted by Mauritius against the Maldives claiming that part of the Maldives' Exclusive Economic Zone in the south overlaps with Chagos, the Maldivian government participated and relinquished a large portion of the southern maritime area from the Maldives' EEZ. He noted that on November 19, 2023, he instructed the Attorney General to study that decision and undertake all necessary legal work to recover the relinquished maritime area, leading the Attorney General to form a three-member coordinating committee to study the matter.
The President mentioned that based on the advice of the international experts appointed for this case, the reports prepared by this committee were submitted to him by the Attorney General on January 22, 2026. Along with those reports, a cabinet paper was drafted including the points highlighted and recommendations made by the coordinating committee, which the Attorney General presented to the Cabinet on January 25, 2026. Furthermore, following the study of this matter, the Cabinet decided to take several steps in relation to the submitted report, and the government has begun implementing these decisions. Additionally, in accordance with the advice given by the legal experts appointed for this case, the necessary legal actions to recover the relinquished portion of the Maldives' Exclusive Economic Zone have now commenced.
In today's Presidential Address, referring to the archipelagic base points of the Maldives as stated in the Maritime Zones of Maldives Act, the President decided and announced that the Maldives' Exclusive Economic Zone is the area currently defined in the law, including the relinquished maritime area. The President stated that the government will send an amendment to the Maritime Zones of Maldives Act to the Parliament, taking into consideration the 6th Amendment to the Constitution.
The President stated that experts have advised establishing an office that will work sustainably to determine the territories of the Maldives, set the coordinates and baselines of the territories, and oversee all matters and issues related to the territories of the Maldives. Therefore, seeing the importance of establishing a specific government agency for this purpose, he announced that an office named the "Maldives Territorial Affairs Office" will be established.
While delivering today's Presidential Address, the President also announced the decision to form a "Commission of Inquiry." This is because international experts appointed to the case have advised that some decisions made by the previous government regarding the lost maritime area have caused irreversible, major damages to the Maldivian state. The commission will question the parties who made those decisions to understand the reasons behind them, take legal action if necessary, and establish measures to prevent such occurrences from repeating.
