Member

Further legal wrangling served nobody’s interests but our adversaries’. In a more volatile world, a deal benefited us all—the UK, the United States and Mauritius. This Government therefore made striking the best possible deal a priority. We appointed Jonathan Powell as the Prime Minister’s special envoy for these negotiations, and he has worked closely with a brilliant team of civil servants and lawyers. Their goal was a way forward that serves UK national interests, respects the interests of our partners, and upholds the international rule of law. The agreement fulfils these objectives. It is strongly supported by partners, with Present Biden going so far as to ‘applaud’ our achievement within minutes of the announcement. Secretary Blinken and Secretary Austin have also backed this ‘successful outcome’ which ‘reaffirms’ our ‘special defence relationship’. The agreement has also been welcomed by the Indian Government and commended by the United Nations Secretary-General.