India backs Mauritius in sovereignty dispute with UK on Chagos Island

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who is on a two-day visit to Mauritius, held wide-ranging talks with the country's leadership to cement bilateral ties.

India on Tuesday reaffirmed its support for Mauritius in the sovereignty dispute with the United Kingdom (UK) over the Chagos archipelago in the Indian Ocean.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who is on a two-day visit to Mauritius, held wide-ranging talks with the country's leadership to cement bilateral ties.

Jaishankar said, “I would like to again assure you today that on the issue of Chagos, India will continue its consistent support to Mauritius in line with its principal stand on decolonisation and support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations.”

The Chagos Islands include the strategic US airbase of Diego Garcia. The archipelago has been operated as a British Indian Ocean Territory. Mauritius has, however, disputed this and is demanding its rights over the islands. The dispute has been going on for decades.