India welcomes UK-Mauritius agreement over Chagos Islands

India on Thursday welcomed the agreement between the UK and Mauritius, marking the return of the Mauritian sovereignty to the Chagos Islands after 45 years of its independence.

UK signed a deal to cede the sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. The deal will allow England to retain the control of the strategically important US-UK airbase on Diego Garcia — the largest island of the Chagos archipelago in the Indian Ocean, under a 99-year-lease.

The Ministry of External Affairs  issuing a statement on the development stated, “We welcome the signing of the treaty between the United Kingdom and the Republic of Mauritius on the return of Mauritian sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago, including Diego Garcia. The formal resolution of the longstanding Chagos dispute through this bilateral treaty is a milestone achievement and a positive development for the region.

It added, “This is further to the understanding between the two sides reached in October 2024, and marks the culmination of the process of decolonisation of Mauritius in the spirit of international law and rules-based order."

“As a steadfast and longstanding partner of Mauritius, India remains committed to working closely with Mauritius and other like-minded countries to strengthen maritime security and regional stability and ensure peace and prosperity in the Indian Ocean region," the statement said.

India