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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 avoided endorsing the US president for a Nobel peace prize.

Truce Agreement Hailed as a "Welcome Development to the World"

The prime minister remarked that the first phase of the agreement would be a "welcome news globally" and highlighted that the UK had contributed significantly in private discussions with the US and negotiators.

Speaking on the final day of his trade visit to the Indian subcontinent, the British leader emphasized that the deal "needs to be put into action in full, without delay, and paired with the prompt removal of all limitations on life-saving humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Peace Prize Inquiry Addressed

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

"The priority now is to press on and implement this ... my attention now is transitioning this from the stage it's at now ... and make a success of this, because that matters to me above all," he told reporters at a media briefing in Mumbai.

Business Deals Revealed During India Visit

Starmer has hailed a series of agreements finalized during his tour to the country – his first time there – accompanied by over a hundred executives and arts figures. The trip marks the implementation of the two nations' trade pact.

• No 10 has unveiled a slew of investments, from fintech to higher education facilities, as well as the production of multiple Indian movies in the UK.
• On the final day, the Prime Minister signed a military agreement worth £350 million for UK missiles, manufactured in Northern Ireland, to be used by the Indian army.

"The shared history is profound, the human connections between our citizens are exceptionally strong," Starmer remarked as he left Mumbai. "Expanding upon our landmark agreement, we are reinventing this alliance for our times."

Digital Identification Initiative Studied

The Prime Minister has spent time in India studying the Indian digital ID system, including meeting key figures who developed the comprehensive platform used by more than 1 billion people for benefits, transactions, and identification.

He suggested that the UK was considering broadening the application of digital identification beyond making it mandatory to verify eligibility to work. He indicated that the UK would in time look at connecting it to financial and payments systems – on a voluntary basis – as well as for administrative tasks such as mortgage and school applications.

"It has been adopted on a optional basis [in India] in massive scale, partly because it ensures that you can access your own funds, conduct transactions so much more easily than is possible with alternative methods," he noted.

"The efficiency with which it enables residents here to utilize facilities, particularly banking options, is something that was acknowledged in our discussions yesterday, and actually a financial technology discussion that we had today. So we're looking at those examples of how digital ID helps individuals with processes that often take too long and are overly complex and simplifies them for them."

Popular Backing for Changes

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

"I think now we need to go out and make that case the significant advantages ... And I think that the more people see the positive outcomes that accompany this ... as has happened in different nations, people say: 'That will simplify my daily routine,' and therefore I want to proceed with it," he affirmed.

Rights Issues and International Relations Addressed

Starmer confirmed he had raised a range of challenging issues with the Indian premier regarding civil liberties and ties with Russia, though he appeared to have made little headway. He confirmed that he and Prime Minister Modi talked about how the country was persisting to buy oil from Russia, which is subject to extensive international restrictions.

"For prime minister Modi and myself the focus on ending this situation and the multiple measures will be implemented to that end," he commented. "And that was a wide range of dialogue, but we did set out the steps that we are undertaking in regarding energy."

Starmer additionally mentioned he had brought up the case of the UK-based activist the individual, from Dumbarton, who has been held in an Indian prison for almost a decade without undergoing a full trial. It is frequently mentioned as one of the worst examples of injustice among Britons still held abroad.

But, he did not suggest much advancement had been achieved. "Indeed, we did raise the diplomatic matters," he stated. "We consistently address them when we have the opportunity to do so. I must add that the top diplomat is meeting the relatives in the near future, as well as discussing it now."

Future Plans

The prime minister is widely expected to take a comparable business-oriented trip to the People's Republic of China in the next 12 months as part of a mission to improve relations between the United Kingdom and China.

This bilateral connection is under the spotlight because of the dismissal of a espionage investigation, said to have happened because the British authorities has been reluctant to provide fresh evidence that the country is deemed a security risk.

The Prime Minister said the United Kingdom was keen to pursue additional commercial partnerships but emphasized that a trade deal with the nation 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 can, confront where we need to, and that's been the consistent policy of the government in relation to China."