Sri Lanka, Feb. 18 -- The US government has given its official backing to the UK's plan to hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius and lease back an important military base.

In a statement, the US Department of State said it "supports the decision of the United Kingdom to proceed with its agreement with Mauritius concerning the Chagos archipelago".

It will come as a relief for the UK government after rapid changes in the position of US President Donald Trump on the deal, going from calling it an "act of great stupidity" to saying the deal was the "best" the prime minister could make.

The announcement comes ahead of talks between the US and Mauritius planned for next week.

In its statement, the US Department of State said that "the U...