The Government of Maldives has denied claims made by the Progressive Congress Coalition that it has retracted its position on the ongoing dispute regarding the delimitation of the maritime boundary between the Maldives and the Chagos Archipelago.

In a statement released on 27 April, the government stated that it remains steadfast in its position regarding its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the ongoing case at the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea (ITLOS). 

The statement also clarified that Maldives' decision to vote yes on a United Nations General Assembly resolution related to the Chagos Archipelago sovereignty issue does not prejudice or change Maldives' ongoing claims at ITLOS. 

The Maldives previously voted "No" on a similar resolution in 2019, but explained that the vote was not against the resolution and did not reflect the country's long-standing position on supporting decolonization efforts.

The government denied allegations by the Progressive Congress Coalition that President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih had acted outside of his constitutional mandate on this issue. 

The government emphasized that setting the boundaries of the EEZ is within the mandate of the government, and that the decision to seek resolution to the case at ITLOS was discussed and reached in a session of the full cabinet. 

The statement also clarified that Maldives has never claimed sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago, and criticized the Progressive Congress Coalition's attempts to mislead the public and score cheap political points on a matter of great public sensitivity.

The government expressed disappointment at attempts by political parties to mislead the Maldivian public and the international community on this issue. It remains confident that the issue of delimiting the maritime boundary between the Maldives and the Chagos Archipelago will be resolved fairly by ITLOS, taking into consideration the arguments put forward by Maldives.