Leveraging an Expanded EEZ and Great‑Power Partnerships with the United States, India, China, France and the Region
BnA IQ- Research
The return of sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago is more than a historic diplomatic correction—it is a structural turning point for Mauritius. Overnight, the country’s effective strategic space has expanded from just over 2,000 km² of land to more than 2.3 million km² of ocean, placing Mauritius among the world’s most significant large ocean states.
This in-depth report examines what that transformation truly means.
Bringing together geopolitics, economics, maritime law, security strategy and environmental governance, the study explores how Mauritius can convert its expanded Exclusive Economic Zone into a coherent, credible and sustainable geo-economic strategy. It analyses the strategic role of Diego Garcia, the implications of long-term security arrangements with the UK and the United States, and the increasingly complex balancing act between India, China, France, the European Union and regional African institutions .
Beyond geopolitics, the report addresses the hard questions of governance and delivery: how to manage marine protected areas at planetary scale, how to finance a blue economy without undermining fiscal stability, how to restore statistical credibility, and how to ensure that Chagossian rights, environmental integrity and long-term national interests remain aligned.
Designed for policymakers, institutional investors, senior executives and strategic analysts, this paper offers a clear-eyed, evidence-based roadmap for the next decade—positioning Mauritius not as a passive small state, but as an active, rules-based maritime power in the Indian Ocean.
👉 Download the full report to understand why Chagos is not the end of a story, but the beginning of Mauritius’ most consequential strategic chapter.
