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The Prime Minister has declared that the truce deal in Gaza "could not have happened without President Trump's leadership," yet stopped short of endorsing the US president for a Nobel peace prize.

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

Starmer commented that the initial stage of the agreement would be a "relief to the world" and highlighted that the UK had contributed significantly behind the scenes with the United States and negotiators.

Speaking on the final day of his trade visit to the Indian subcontinent, the British leader stressed that the agreement "needs to be put into action in full, without postponement, and accompanied by the prompt removal of all restrictions on critical humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Peace Prize Question Answered

However, when asked if the Nobel committee should now award Donald Trump the prestigious award, the Prime Minister suggested that more time was needed to know if a longer lasting peace could be attained.

"The priority now is to move forward and execute this ... my attention now is transitioning this from the phase it's at now ... and ensure the success of this, because that is important to me above all," he told reporters at a media briefing in Mumbai.

Business Deals Announced During Trip to India

The Prime Minister has celebrated a number of deals finalized during his tour to the country – his maiden visit there – joined by over a hundred executives and arts figures. The visit signifies the passing of the countries' trade pact.

• The UK government has announced a range of financial commitments, from financial technology to higher education facilities, as well as the making of multiple Indian movies in the UK.
• On Thursday, Starmer finalized a defence deal worth £350 million for UK missiles, produced in Northern Ireland, to be deployed by the Indian military.

"Our history together is deep, the personal ties between our citizens are truly special," he said as he departed the city. "Expanding upon our historic trade deal, we are reinventing this alliance for our era."

Digital ID System Studied

Starmer has spent time in India analyzing the national digital identification program, including meeting key figures who designed the comprehensive platform utilized by over a billion individuals for social services, transactions, and verification.

The prime minister suggested that the UK was interested in expanding the scope of digital identification beyond making it mandatory to verify eligibility to work. He indicated that the Britain would in time look at connecting it to financial and payments systems – on a optional basis – as well as for official procedures such as mortgage and educational enrollments.

"It's been taken up on a voluntary basis [in India] in massive scale, not least because it means that you can retrieve your own funds, make payments so much more easily than is possible with others," he explained.

"The efficiency with which it enables residents here to access services, particularly financial services, is something that was acknowledged in our discussions recently, and actually a Fintech discussion that we had today. So we're examining those examples of how digital identification helps people with processes that sometimes take excessive time and are overly complex and simplifies them for them."

Popular Backing for Changes

The Prime Minister acknowledged that the administration had to make the case for the initiatives to the British public, which have declined sharply in public approval since Starmer proposed them.

"I think now we need to go out and advocate for the huge benefits ... And I believe that the greater number of individuals see the benefits that accompany this ... as has happened in different nations, citizens say: 'That will simplify my daily routine,' and therefore I want to get on with it," he stated.

Rights Issues and Global Affairs Addressed

The Prime Minister confirmed he had raised a range of challenging issues with the Indian premier regarding human rights and ties with the Russian Federation, though he seemed to have made little headway. Starmer confirmed that he and Modi discussed how the country was continuing to buy Russian oil, which is facing widespread western sanctions.

"For prime minister Modi and myself the priority on resolving this situation and the various steps will be implemented to that purpose," he said. "This included a wide range of discussion, but we outlined the steps that we are taking in regarding energy."

Starmer additionally mentioned he had brought up the situation of the UK-based activist Jagtar Singh Johal, from Dumbarton, who has been held in an Indian prison for nearly eight years without facing a full trial. It is often cited as one of the most egregious cases of injustice among Britons still held abroad.

However, Starmer did not suggest much advancement had been achieved. "Indeed, we did raise the consular cases," he stated. "We consistently address them when we have the chance to do so. I should say that the top diplomat is scheduled to meet the families in the near future, as well as discussing it today."

Upcoming Initiatives

Starmer is largely anticipated to take a comparable business-oriented trip to the People's Republic of China in the coming year as part of a mission to ease relations between the United Kingdom and the Asian nation.

This bilateral connection is under the spotlight because of the collapse of a Chinese spying case, said to have happened because the British authorities has been unwilling to provide fresh evidence that the country is deemed a security risk.

Starmer said the United Kingdom was eager to pursue other trading relationships but emphasized that a commercial agreement with China was not currently planned. "That's not on our list, for a bilateral pact as such, but our stance is to work together where we are able, challenge where we must, and that's been the ongoing approach of the government in relation to China."