Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India will visit Mauritius to enhance strategic ties following U.S. President Trump’s endorsement of negotiations regarding the Chagos Islands. This visit aims to bolster India’s support for Mauritius’ sovereignty claims while countering China’s influence in the region. Discussions will focus on settling outstanding issues and strengthening security partnerships.
India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, is set to visit Mauritius to enhance strategic partnerships, shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump expressed his endorsement of negotiations between Mauritius and Britain regarding the future of a U.S.-British military installation. Modi’s visit coincides with Mauritius’s national day celebrations and includes discussions with Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam, who has recently resumed office for a third term.
President Trump recently expressed his support for an agreement concerning the status of the Chagos Islands, an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, which includes Diego Garcia, a key military base used jointly by the U.S. and Britain since the 1970s. Modi’s trip is viewed as an opportunity for India to reaffirm its longstanding support for Mauritius’ claims over the islands and to strengthen cooperation against China’s regional influence.
India’s foreign secretary, Vikram Misri, shared that Modi’s visits could serve to address any unresolved issues, emphasizing India’s ongoing support for Mauritius in achieving a favorable settlement. Mauritius gained independence in 1968, yet control of the Chagos Islands remained with Britain, which resulted in the forced relocation of approximately 2,000 inhabitants to establish the military base for the U.S.
Experts highlight the significance of the U.S. military presence on Diego Garcia as a strategic counterbalance to China’s expanding influence in the Indian Ocean. The Indian government has facilitated the development of sea and air connectivity to the Agalega Islands as part of its endeavor to expand its strategic influence.
Additionally, a source close to Prime Minister Ramgoolam remarked on Mauritius’ perspective of India and the U.S. as unified in their aim to mitigate Chinese influence in the region, especially as China continues to invest significantly in infrastructure across South Asian nations, including the Maldives and Sri Lanka.
The impending visit of Prime Minister Modi to Mauritius underscores a pivotal moment for enhancing India-Mauritius relations and reasserting support for Mauritius’ claims over the Chagos Islands, particularly in light of recent U.S. backing. The discussions aim to bolster strategic ties while addressing the growing influence of China in the Indian Ocean. With India’s assistance in regional maritime connectivity and its geopolitical interests in mind, this visit sets a positive trajectory for cooperation between the nations involved.
Original Source: www.usnews.com
