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The Prime Minister has declared that the Gaza ceasefire agreement "would not have occurred without President Trump's leadership," yet avoided supporting the US president for a Nobel peace prize.

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

The prime minister remarked that the initial stage of the agreement would be a "relief to the world" 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, the British leader stressed that the deal "needs to be put into action in full, without postponement, and accompanied by the prompt removal of all limitations on critical humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Nobel Prize Question Addressed

But, when questioned if the Nobel committee should at this time grant Donald Trump the prestigious prize, Starmer implied that time was required to determine if a durable peace could be attained.

"The priority now is to move forward and execute this ... my attention now is transitioning this from the stage it's at now ... and ensure the success of this, because that is important to me more than anything else," he stated at a press conference in Mumbai.

Business Deals Revealed During India Visit

The Prime Minister has hailed a number of deals sealed during his tour to the country – his first time there – joined by 126 business leaders and arts figures. The trip marks the passing of the countries' free trade agreement.

• No 10 has unveiled a range of financial commitments, from fintech to higher education facilities, as well as the making of multiple Indian movies in the UK.
• On the final day, the Prime Minister finalized a military agreement worth £350m for British-made missiles, produced in Northern Ireland, to be used by the Indian army.

"Our history together is profound, the personal ties between our people are exceptionally strong," he said as he departed the city. "Building on our historic trade deal, we are remaking this partnership for our times."

Digital ID System Studied

Starmer has spent time in India analyzing the Indian digital ID system, including consulting key figures who designed the widespread system utilized by over a billion individuals for social services, transactions, and identification.

The prime minister hinted that the UK was interested in broadening the application of digital identification beyond making it compulsory to verify eligibility to work. He indicated that the Britain would eventually look at connecting it to financial and transaction networks – on a optional basis – as well as for official procedures such as home loan and educational enrollments.

"It has been adopted on a optional basis [in India] in huge numbers, not least because it means that you can retrieve your own money, conduct transactions so much more conveniently than is available with alternative methods," he explained.

"The efficiency with which it allows residents here to utilize facilities, especially banking options, is something that was acknowledged in our discussions yesterday, and actually a Fintech discussion that we had today. So we're looking at those instances of how digital ID assists people with procedures that sometimes take too long and are too cumbersome and simplifies them for them."

Public Support for Changes

The Prime Minister acknowledged that the government had to make the case for the reforms to the UK citizens, which have plummeted in popularity since Starmer announced them.

"I think now we need to go out and make that case 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 make my life easier,' and consequently I want to proceed with it," he stated.

Rights Issues and International Relations Addressed

Starmer said he had raised a range of challenging issues with the Indian leader regarding civil liberties and relations with the Russian Federation, though he seemed to have made minimal progress. He acknowledged that he and Prime Minister Modi talked about how India was persisting to buy Russian oil, which is facing widespread western sanctions.

"For prime minister Modi and myself the focus on ending this conflict and the various steps will be taken to that purpose," he said. "And that was a broad spectrum of discussion, but we outlined the actions that we are undertaking 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 jail for nearly eight years without facing a complete legal process. It is often cited as one of the most egregious cases of injustice among UK nationals currently detained overseas.

But, Starmer did not indicate much progress 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 relatives in coming weeks, as well as discussing it now."

Future Plans

The prime minister is widely expected to take a similar trade-focused trip to China in the coming year as part of a effort to ease relations between the United Kingdom and China.

This bilateral connection is receiving attention because of the dismissal of a espionage investigation, said to have happened because the UK has been unwilling to provide new proof that the country is considered a security risk.

Starmer said the United Kingdom was eager to explore other trading relationships but stated 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, confront where we need to, and that's been the consistent policy of the administration in regarding China."