HMG FLOATS PROPOSAL FOR MARINE RESERVE COVERING
THE CHAGOS ARCHIPELAGO (BRITISH INDIAN OCEAN TERRITORY)
REF: 08 LONDON 2667 (NOTAL)
Classified By: Political Counselor Richard Mills for
reasons 1.4 b and d
¶1. (C/NF) Summary. HMG would like to establish a "marine
park" or "reserve" providing comprehensive environmental
protection to the reefs and waters of the British Indian
Ocean Territory (BIOT), a senior Foreign and Commonwealth
Office (FCO) official informed Polcouns on May 12. The
official insisted that the establishment of a marine park --
the world's largest -- would in no way impinge on USG use of
the BIOT, including Diego Garcia, for military purposes. He
agreed that the UK and U.S. should carefully negotiate the
details of the marine reserve to assure that U.S. interests
were safeguarded and the strategic value of BIOT was upheld.
He said that the BIOT's former inhabitants would find it
difficult, if not impossible, to pursue their claim for
resettlement on the islands if the entire Chagos Archipelago
were a marine reserve. End Summary.
https://wikileaks.org/cable/2009/05/09LONDON1156.html
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