Mauritius and Russia have agreed to strengthen ties, amid fears that the UK was too hasty in deciding to hand over the Chagos Islands.

Closer ties between Mauritius and Russia have sparked new security fears over the UK’s decision to give up sovereignty of the Chagos Islands. Mauritian and Russian officials met on Friday to discuss ways of strengthening their relationship in “marine research” and fishing. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has been heavily criticised for the potential security threat linked to giving up the archipelago despite approval from US President Donald Trump.

The UK Government has argued that it has to give up the territory because of international legal rulings in favour of Mauritius, which has long claimed ownership of the archipelago. However, controversy around the move is linked to the presence of the strategic US-UK military base on the largest island in the group, Diego Garcia. While critics have suggested relinquishing sovereignty could open the door to Iran and China spying on the Western military, the growing closeness between Mauritius and Russia could be yet another cause for concern surrounding the handover.

The deal is expected to involve the lease of the military base to Britain for 100 years at a reported cost of £9 billion to maintain a UK and US military presence.

Security experts previously sounded the alarm around Mauritius’s links to Iran after plans emerged for joint research initiatives with the Islamic country, and similar suggestions were made around China’s access to the territory when the country become the biggest importer into Mauritius following a free trade deal in 2021.