Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Abdulla Khaleel has clarified that Maldives' Ambassador to Belgium, Geela Ali, did not state in the European Parliament that Chagos does not belong to the Maldives or that the country is not pursuing its claim.

He made the clarification in response to reports which, according to him, had misrepresented the Ambassador’s remarks in certain online media outlets. According to Minister Dr Khaleel, the Ambassador was responding to a question raised in the European Parliament regarding the presence of a United States military base in Diego Garcia. In her response, the Ambassador reportedly stated that the base has existed for a long period and noted the longstanding diplomatic relationship between the Maldives and the United States. 

Further addressing the context of the Chagos issue, Minister Dr Khaleel referred to actions taken by the previous MDP government in 2022. He stated that rights were relinquished through a secret letter, without the consultation of the people or the involvement of Parliament. The Minister argued that this process did not follow proper procedures and criticised it as lacking transparency.

Minister Dr Khaleel reiterated that the people of the Maldives would not be misled by such actions and reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to protecting the nation’s interests.