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The Prime Minister has declared that the Gaza ceasefire agreement "would not have occurred without the leadership of Donald Trump," but stopped short of endorsing the US president for a Nobel peace prize.

Truce Agreement Welcomed as a "Welcome Development to the Globe"

Starmer remarked that the first phase of the agreement would be a "relief to the world" and noted that the UK had played its own role in private discussions with the United States and negotiators.

Addressing the media on the final day of his business trip to India, the British leader stressed that the agreement "needs to be put into action in full, without postponement, and accompanied by the immediate lifting of all limitations on critical humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Peace Prize Question Addressed

But, when questioned if the Nobel committee should at this time grant Trump the coveted award, Starmer implied that more time was needed to determine if a durable peace could be attained.

"The priority now is to press on and implement this ... my focus now is moving this from the phase it's at now ... and ensure the success of this, because that matters to me above all," he stated at a press conference in Mumbai.

Business Deals Announced During India Visit

Starmer has hailed a series of agreements finalized during his tour to India – his maiden visit there – accompanied by 126 business leaders and arts figures. The trip signifies the passing of the countries' trade pact.

• No 10 has announced a slew of investments, from financial technology to university campuses, as well as the production of three Bollywood films in the United Kingdom.
• On Thursday, Starmer finalized a military agreement worth £350 million for UK missiles, produced in the UK region, to be used by the Indian military.

"Our history together is deep, the personal ties between our people are truly special," he remarked as he departed the city. "Expanding upon our historic trade deal, we are remaking this alliance for our times."

Digital ID Initiative Examined

Starmer has spent time in India analyzing the Indian digital ID system, including meeting principal architects who designed the comprehensive platform used by more than 1 billion people for social services, transactions, and verification.

He hinted that the United Kingdom was interested in broadening the scope of digital ID beyond making it mandatory to prove rights to work. He proposed that the UK would in time look at connecting it to financial and transaction networks – on a optional basis – as well as for administrative tasks such as home loan and school applications.

"It's been taken up on a optional basis [in India] in huge numbers, partly because it ensures that you can retrieve your own money, make payments so much more easily than is possible with alternative methods," he explained.

"The speed with which it allows residents here to access services, especially banking options, is something that was acknowledged in our discussions yesterday, and actually a financial technology discussion that we had as well. So we're examining those examples of how digital identification helps people with processes that often take excessive time and are overly complex and simplifies them for them."

Popular Backing for Changes

Starmer admitted that the government had to build public support for the initiatives to the UK citizens, which have plummeted in public approval since he announced them.

"In my view now we need to go out and advocate for the significant advantages ... And I think that the greater number of individuals see the positive outcomes that come with this ... as has happened in other countries, citizens say: 'That will simplify my daily routine,' and consequently I want to proceed with it," he stated.

Rights Issues and International Relations Discussed

The Prime Minister said he had brought up a range of challenging issues with the Indian premier regarding civil liberties and relations with Russia, though he appeared to have made minimal progress. Starmer confirmed that he and Modi discussed how the country was persisting to buy Russian oil, which is facing widespread western sanctions.

"For both Prime Minister Modi and me the priority on ending this situation and the various steps will be taken to that end," he said. "And that was a wide range of dialogue, but we outlined the actions that we are taking in relation to energy."

The Prime Minister also said he had brought up the situation of the UK-based activist Jagtar Singh Johal, from Dumbarton, who has been detained in an Indian prison for nearly eight years without facing a complete legal process. It is frequently mentioned as one of the most egregious cases of injustice among Britons still held overseas.

But, Starmer did not suggest much progress had been achieved. "Indeed, we brought up the diplomatic matters," he stated. "We always raise them when we have the opportunity to do so. I must add that the foreign secretary is meeting the relatives in coming weeks, as well as discussing it today."

Future Plans

Starmer is largely anticipated to take a comparable trade-focused trip to China in the coming year as part of a effort to ease diplomatic ties between the UK and the Asian nation.

That relationship is receiving attention because of the collapse of a espionage investigation, said to have happened because the British authorities has been reluctant to provide fresh evidence that China is deemed a security risk.

Starmer said the United Kingdom was eager to explore other trading relationships but emphasized that a commercial agreement with the nation was not currently planned. "It is not a priority, for a bilateral pact as such, but our stance is to cooperate where we can, challenge where we must, and that's been the consistent policy of the administration in regarding China."