Le Week-End, a Mauritian newspaper, reported on Sunday that the two countries could announce a deal early this week after the UK agreed to the front-loading of payments. British officials said that while “a deal is there to be done, it’s not done yet”.

The UK and Mauritius said they’ve made ‘good progress’ in a round of talks to settle the sovereignty of the Chagos archipelago in the Indian Ocean, including the stewardship of a key US-British military base.

Both countries reiterate their commitment to concluding treaty providing that Mauritius is sovereign over Chagos Archipelago, says joint statement - Anadolu Ajansı

The UK and Mauritius are reportedly making significant progress in their negotiations to finalize a treaty concerning the future of a U.S.-British military base in the Chagos Islands. Both nations have expressed their commitment to ensuring Mauritius' sovereignty and maintaining effective operations at the Diego Garcia base.

A joint statement said 'further productive discussions' had been held on reaching an agreement 'in both sides' interests'.