President Joe Biden welcomed the deal, saying it would secure the effective operation of Diego Garcia, a strategically important air base in the Indian Ocean, into the next century. But critics in Britain said it was a capitulation that played into the hands of China, which has close trade ties with Mauritius. Britain, which has controlled the region since 1814, detached the Chagos Islands in 1965 from Mauritius — a former colony that became independent three years later — to create the British Indian Ocean Territory. The new agreement said Mauritius would be free to implement a program of resettlement on the islands other than Diego Garcia, with the terms left for Port Louis to decide. David Blagden, associate professor of international security and strategy at Britain’s University of Exeter, said the deal was a “big win” for Mauritius.

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Persons: Diego Garcia, Joe Biden, David Lammy, “, ” Lammy, Biden, ”, Diego Garcia’s, Port Louis, Pravind Jugnauth, Olivier Bancoult, ” “, Keir Starmer, Tom Tugendhat, Britain’s, ” Robert Jenrick, Matthew Miller, ” Miller, David Blagden, ‘ Organizations: British, Mauritius —, United Nations General Assembly, Diego, Port, Refugees Group, Facebook, Labour Party won, Conservative Party, Conservative, State, Britain’s University of Exeter, Port Louis Locations: Mauritius, Britain, China, Africa, Iraq, Afghanistan, United States, Ocean, Seychelles, Mauritian, Beijing