New Delhi: The Chagos Archipelago Islands, just 1,700 kilometers away from India's maritime border in the Indian Ocean, will now be a part of Mauritius' sovereign geographical area. Chagos is considered strategically very important in view of the growing importance of the Indo-Pacific region on the global stage.

On October 3, 2024, an agreement was reached between Britain and Mauritius to transfer it to Mauritius. Related to this, another agreement has been reached between Britain, America and Mauritius regarding the Diego Garcia Island. According to this, the British-American military base located here will remain for the next 99 years.

We have always supported Mauritius – India

India has welcomed the resolution of the 50-year-old dispute over the Chagos Archipelago. India has played a very important role behind the scenes in the discussions taking place regarding this. The Ministry of External Affairs has said that we welcome the agreement on Mauritius' sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago and Diego Garcia. We have always supported Mauritius in this regard.

This very old dispute has been resolved after two years of discussions. We have given in-principle support to Mauritius due to our views on the issue of colonialism. There have been continuous discussions between Mauritius and India on this issue.

Mauritius became independent from Britain in 1968 but Britain did not hand over this group of islands. The reason is said to be the military base of Diego Garcia. Its strategic importance has once again come to the fore in the new global environment. In such a situation, an agreement between all the parties has been possible with the mediation of India.

This group of islands is 2200 km away from the mainland of Mauritius.

Sources in the Ministry of External Affairs say that we have always played our role behind the scenes regarding this agreement. We have encouraged both the parties to talk openly. This will help in ensuring permanent security in the Indian Ocean. This island group is 2200 kilometers away from the mainland of Mauritius, while the Indian border is 1700 kilometers away from here. From this it can be understood how important it is for India.

British High Commissioner to India Lindy Cameron has said that this agreement reflects the deepening relationship between Britain and India in the Indian Ocean. This will strengthen global security and keep away those who pose a threat to peace and stability in the entire Indo-Pacific region.