Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India is visiting Mauritius to enhance strategic ties amid U.S. support for a deal regarding the Chagos Islands. Discussions will include sovereignty issues and U.S. military presence, with India backing Mauritius against Chinese influence in the region. Modi’s visit will help further develop Mauritius’ strategic connections.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India is scheduled to visit Mauritius on Tuesday, aiming to enhance strategic ties. This visit follows President Donald Trump’s expression of support for a potential agreement between Mauritius and Britain regarding the future of a military base in the Chagos Archipelago. Modi will be the chief guest for the national day celebrations in Mauritius and will conduct discussions with Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam, who has returned for his third term in office.
Trump recently indicated that he would endorse a deal concerning the U.S.-British military base located on Diego Garcia, the largest island in the Chagos Archipelago, which has served as a strategic military site since the 1970s. India’s officials organizing Modi’s visit noted that progress concerning the sovereignty of Chagos is significant for New Delhi, which has long backed Mauritius’s claim over the islands while also supporting the U.S. presence to counter China’s influence.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri commented, “During the (Modi’s) visit there will be an opportunity perhaps for the Mauritius side to update us on any issues that might still be outstanding… we continue to support Mauritius in its efforts to reach a mutually satisfactory and mutually beneficial deal.” Mauritius gained independence in 1968 but was unable to secure control of the Chagos Islands from Britain, which relocated about 2,000 residents to establish the Diego Garcia base leased to the U.S. in 1966.
Samuel Bashfield, an expert at the Australia India Institute, highlighted that maintaining the U.S. base on Diego Garcia serves India’s strategic interests as a counterbalance to China. As India strives to expand its influence in the Indian Ocean, it has assisted Mauritius in enhancing maritime and aerial connections to the remote Agalega Islands. He noted, “Diego Garcia could be a useful runway for Indian surveillance aircraft in the Indian Ocean to use periodically.”
Officials close to Prime Minister Ramgoolam indicated that Mauritius views shared interests with the U.S. and India in containing Chinese influence in the region. China has substantially invested in regional infrastructure projects, including seaports and highways, across nations ranging from the Maldives to Sri Lanka.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming visit to Mauritius symbolizes a significant strengthening of ties between India and Mauritius, particularly concerning the sovereignty of the Chagos Islands. With support from the U.S. indicated, both nations seek to collaborate on regional security issues centered on countering Chinese influence in the Indian Ocean. The evolving dynamics around the Diego Garcia military base highlights the strategic partnerships underpinning these developments.
Original Source: www.usnews.com
