NEW DELHI â India and Mauritius have upgraded their ties, say leaders of both countries â a move analysts say is aimed at increasing New Delhis influence in the Indian Ocean as it seeks to counter Chinas expanding footprint in the region.
The announcement of upgraded ties came during a two-day visit by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Mauritius, an island nation that sits along vital seaways in the western Indian Ocean.
Modi, who was chief guest at Mauritiuss National Day celebrations on Wednesday, said that the countries had elevated ties to the status of enhanced strategic partnership.
Following talks with Mauritius Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam, both leaders also reaffirmed their commitment to a free, safe, secure and open Indian Ocean.
Mauritius conferred the countrys highest civilian honor on Modi, and the prime ministers signed eight pacts to boost cooperation in several sectors including maritime security.
Modi announced that New Delhi would invest about $11 million in several community development projects and that India will cooperate in building a new parliament for Mauritius, calling it a gift from the mother of democracy.
China trade with Mauritius on rise
While India has long enjoyed good relations with Mauritius, where 70% of the population is of Indian origin, analysts said Modis visit came amid a recognition that India needs to step up its engagement with a country that is called the gateway to the Western Indian Ocean and Africa, and where Beijings presence has grown.
Chinas rise in the island has been quite phenomenal and it is now one of the most important economic players in Mauritius, according to Harsh Pant, the vice president of studies at the Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi. So, to offset that, it is necessary for India to have constant engagement with Mauritius and help them build capacities in areas such as health, education, and maritime capabilities to demonstrate that it can assist in meeting such challenges.
In 2019, China signed a free trade agreement with Mauritius that went into effect in 2021. A page for Mauritius on Chinas Foreign Ministry website that outlines relations states that the two have a strategic partnership. Bilateral trade between the two countries hit $1.1 billion, a 10.1% increase from the previous year, according to the website.
As the region becomes a hotspot for geopolitical competition, India and China have stepped up efforts to build ties with Indian Ocean countries.
Underlining Indias naval cooperation with Mauritius, an Indian navy contingent participated in the National Day parade and an Indian warship â the INS Imphal, a stealth guided-missile destroyer â paid a visit to the capital, Port Louis.
Last year, India helped Mauritius build an airstrip and a jetty in Agalega â two tiny islands covering 25 square kilometers that are located north of the main island. Although Mauritius has said that the facilities are not for military use, they give India a foothold to monitor traffic in the western Indian Ocean, say analysts.
Indias construction of logistics infrastructure on Agalega Island underlines both Mauritiuss enduring geopolitical significance in the Indian Ocean and Delhis growing maritime stakes in regional security, political analyst C. Raja Mohan wrote in the Indian Express newspaper.
India backs Chagos handover
Indian officials have also said that New Delhi would support a planned deal between Britain and Mauritius to hand over control of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius that is being finalized. One of the islands on the archipelago, Diego Garcia, has been home to a joint U.K.-U.S. military base since the 1970s. British media have reported that Britain will cede sovereignty of the Chagos Islands and lease back Diego Garcia from Mauritius to allow the military base to remain.
We support Mauritius in its stance on its sovereignty
