Washington, March 14 (NationPress) A US senator has put forward a bill aimed at preventing any transfer of sovereignty regarding the Chagos Islands, which includes the pivotal Diego Garcia military base, without the formal consent of the US Senate for amendments to the enduring defense treaty between the United States and the United Kingdom.

Senator John Kennedy, a Louisiana Republican and member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, initiated the Diego Garcia Treaty Oversight Act. This legislation mandates that any alterations to the 1966 pact between the US and UK concerning the British Indian Ocean Territory must receive Senate approval.

This action arises from apprehensions in Washington regarding a UK proposal to relinquish sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. This archipelago encompasses Diego Garcia, which is home to a crucial joint US-UK naval support facility.

“When two nations agree on a treaty, one party cannot unilaterally change the terms without the other’s consent. That’s simply logical,” Kennedy stated.

“This is why I oppose the UK’s attempt to hand over our joint military base on Diego Garcia to an ally of Xi Jinping’s without the US Senate’s approval. My bill ensures that our UK partners cannot modify our treaty and turn this base over to China without giving the Senate a voice,” he further emphasized.

According to the proposed legislation, any amendments to the 1966 treaty would necessitate Senate endorsement before becoming effective. Additionally, the bill bars federal agencies from utilizing funds to modify the treaty without Senate consent.

Moreover, the measure requires the President to present a report to Congress before engaging in any negotiations regarding treaty modifications. This report must outline the national security justification for the proposed alterations, assess the impact on US operational control of Diego Garcia, and evaluate the risks from foreign military presence or third-party sovereignty claims.

Kennedy has consistently voiced his objections to the proposed transfer of the Chagos Islands.

The senator from Louisiana has also interacted with opponents of the proposal in the UK and has led a letter to the Trump administration urging Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to reject the plan.

Diego Garcia, the largest island in the Chagos archipelago, hosts a significant joint US-UK military facility and acts as a vital logistical and operational hub for American forces in the Indian Ocean.

The base has historically been instrumental in US military operations across the Middle East, Africa, and the Indo-Pacific. Its strategic location enables the United States to support long-range naval and air operations while maintaining a significant presence across the vast Indian Ocean.

The dispute surrounding the Chagos Islands has been a persistent topic in international diplomacy. Mauritius has long asserted its claim to sovereignty over the archipelago, which Britain separated before Mauritius achieved independence in 1968.