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The Prime Minister has asserted that the Gaza ceasefire agreement "would not have occurred without President Trump's leadership," yet stopped short of supporting the US president for a Nobel Prize.

Ceasefire Deal Hailed as a "Welcome Development to the Globe"

The prime minister commented that the first phase of the deal would be a "welcome news globally" and noted that the UK had contributed significantly in private discussions with the United States and mediators.

Speaking on the final day of his business trip to India, Starmer emphasized that the agreement "must now be implemented in full, without postponement, and accompanied by the immediate lifting of all limitations on life-saving humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Nobel Prize Inquiry Answered

However, when questioned if the Nobel prize committee should now grant Trump the prestigious award, Starmer suggested that more time was needed to determine if a durable peace could be achieved.

"What matters now is to move forward and implement this ... my focus now is moving this from the stage it's at now ... and make a success of this, because that is important to me more than anything else," he told reporters at a press conference in Mumbai.

Business Deals Announced During Trip to India

Starmer has celebrated a series of agreements sealed during his visit to the country – his maiden visit there – joined by over a hundred executives and arts figures. The visit signifies the implementation of the countries' free trade agreement.

• No 10 has announced a slew of investments, from financial technology to higher education facilities, as well as the making of multiple Indian movies in the UK.
• On Thursday, the Prime Minister finalized a military agreement worth £350m for British-made missiles, manufactured in Northern Ireland, to be used by the Indian army.

"Our history together is deep, the human connections between our people are truly special," Starmer remarked as he departed the city. "Expanding upon our landmark agreement, we are reinventing this alliance for our times."

Digital ID System Studied

The Prime Minister has spent time in Mumbai studying the national digital identification program, including consulting key figures who developed the comprehensive platform used by over a billion individuals for benefits, transactions, and verification.

The prime minister suggested that the UK was interested in broadening the application of digital identification beyond making it mandatory to verify eligibility to work. He proposed that the UK would eventually look at linking it to financial and transaction networks – on a voluntary basis – as well as for administrative tasks such as home loan and educational enrollments.

"It's been taken up on a optional basis [in India] in massive scale, not least because it means that you can retrieve your own funds, conduct transactions so much more conveniently than is possible with alternative methods," he explained.

"The speed with which it allows residents here to utilize facilities, especially financial services, is something that was recognized in our talks yesterday, and in fact a financial technology discussion that we had today. So we're examining those instances of how digital ID assists individuals with processes that sometimes take excessive time and are overly complex and simplifies them for them."

Popular Backing for Reforms

The Prime Minister admitted that the administration had to build public support for the initiatives to the UK citizens, which have declined sharply in public approval since Starmer proposed them.

"In my view now we need to go out and advocate for the significant advantages ... And I believe that the greater number of individuals see the benefits that accompany this ... as has occurred in different nations, citizens say: 'That will simplify my daily routine,' and consequently I want to proceed with it," he affirmed.

Rights Issues and International Relations Discussed

Starmer confirmed he had brought up a range of challenging issues with the Indian premier regarding human rights and ties with the Russian Federation, though he seemed to have made minimal progress. He acknowledged that he and Prime Minister Modi talked about how the country was continuing to purchase oil from Russia, which is facing extensive international restrictions.

"For prime minister Modi and myself the focus on resolving this conflict and the various steps will be taken to that purpose," he commented. "And that was a wide range of discussion, but we did set out the steps that we are taking in relation to energy."

The Prime Minister additionally said he had brought up the case of the UK-based activist the individual, from Scotland, who has been held in an Indian jail for nearly eight years without facing a complete legal process. It is often cited as one of the worst examples of injustice among Britons still held overseas.

However, Starmer did not suggest much progress had been made. "Yes, we did raise the diplomatic matters," he stated. "We consistently address them when we have the opportunity to do so. I should say that the top diplomat is meeting the families in the near future, as well as discussing it now."

Future Plans

The prime minister is largely anticipated to take a comparable trade-focused visit to the People's Republic of China in the coming year as part of a mission to ease relations between the United Kingdom and China.

This bilateral connection is under the spotlight because of the collapse of a espionage investigation, reportedly occurring because the UK has been unwilling to provide fresh evidence that the country is considered a security risk.

Starmer clarified the United Kingdom was eager to pursue additional commercial partnerships but emphasized that a commercial agreement with China was not currently planned. "It is not a priority, for a trade deal as such, but our position is to cooperate where we are able, challenge where we need to, and that's been the ongoing approach of the government in regarding China."