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The Prime Minister has declared that the Gaza ceasefire agreement "could not have happened without the leadership of Donald Trump," yet avoided endorsing the US president for a Nobel Prize.

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

The prime minister commented that the initial stage of the deal would be a "relief to the world" and noted that the United Kingdom had played its own role behind the scenes with the US and negotiators.

Speaking on the last day of his trade visit to the Indian subcontinent, the British leader stressed that the deal "must now be implemented in full, without postponement, and accompanied by the immediate lifting of all restrictions on critical humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Peace Prize Question Addressed

But, when questioned if the Nobel committee should now award Donald Trump the coveted prize, the Prime Minister suggested that more time was needed to determine if a longer lasting peace could be achieved.

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

Trade and Investment Revealed During Trip to India

The Prime Minister has celebrated a number of deals finalized during his visit to India – his maiden visit there – accompanied by 126 business leaders and arts figures. The trip signifies the implementation of the two nations' free trade agreement.

• The UK government has announced a range of financial commitments, from fintech to higher education facilities, as well as the production of three Bollywood films in the United Kingdom.
• On the final day, Starmer finalized a defence deal worth £350 million for British-made missiles, produced in Northern Ireland, to be deployed by the Indian army.

"The shared history is profound, the personal ties between our citizens are exceptionally strong," Starmer remarked as he left Mumbai. "Building on our landmark agreement, we are reinventing this alliance for our era."

Digital Identification Initiative Studied

The Prime Minister has spent time in Mumbai studying the Indian digital ID system, including consulting principal architects who designed the comprehensive platform used by over a billion individuals for social services, payments, and identification.

He hinted that the United Kingdom was interested in broadening the scope of digital identification beyond making it mandatory to verify eligibility to work. He proposed that the Britain would in time look at connecting it to banking and transaction networks – on a voluntary basis – as well as for administrative tasks such as home loan and educational enrollments.

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

"The speed with which it enables residents here to utilize facilities, especially banking options, is something that was acknowledged in our discussions recently, and in fact a Fintech conversation that we had today. So we're looking at those examples of how digital ID assists individuals with procedures that sometimes take too long and are overly complex and simplifies them for them."

Public Support for Reforms

The Prime Minister acknowledged that the administration 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 huge benefits ... And I believe that the more people see the benefits that come with this ... as has occurred in other countries, people say: 'That will simplify my daily routine,' and consequently I want to proceed with it," he stated.

Human Rights and Global Affairs Discussed

The Prime Minister confirmed he had raised a range of challenging issues with the Indian leader regarding human rights and ties with Russia, though he seemed to have made little headway. Starmer confirmed that he and Modi talked about how the country was persisting to purchase oil from Russia, which is subject to extensive international restrictions.

"For both Prime Minister Modi and me the priority on resolving this conflict and the various steps will be taken to that purpose," he commented. "And that was a wide range of dialogue, but we did set out the actions that we are undertaking in regarding energy."

Starmer also mentioned he had brought up the case of the UK-based activist Jagtar Singh Johal, from Dumbarton, who has been held in an Indian prison for almost a decade without undergoing a full trial. It is often cited as one of the worst examples of injustice among UK nationals still held abroad.

However, he did not suggest much advancement had been achieved. "Yes, we did raise the diplomatic matters," he said. "We always raise them when we have the chance to do so. I must add that the top diplomat is scheduled to meet the relatives in coming weeks, as well as discussing it now."

Upcoming Initiatives

The prime minister is widely expected to take a similar trade-focused visit to China in the coming year 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 Chinese spying case, said to have happened because the British authorities has been unwilling to provide fresh evidence that China is considered a threat.

Starmer clarified the UK was eager to pursue other trading relationships 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 position is to cooperate where we can, confront where we need to, and this has been the consistent policy of the government in relation to China."