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Keir Starmer has asserted that the Gaza ceasefire agreement "could not have happened without the leadership of Donald Trump," yet stopped short of supporting the American leader for a Nobel peace prize.

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

Starmer remarked that the first phase of the agreement would be a "welcome news globally" and noted that the UK had contributed significantly in private discussions with the US and mediators.

Speaking on the final day of his trade visit to India, the British leader stressed that the deal "must now be implemented in full, without delay, and accompanied by the prompt removal of all restrictions on life-saving humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Nobel Prize Question Answered

However, when asked if the Nobel committee should at this time grant Donald Trump the prestigious prize, the Prime Minister suggested that more time was needed to determine if a durable peace could be achieved.

"The priority now is to press on and execute this ... my focus now is moving this from the phase it's at now ... and make a success of this, because that is important to me above all," he stated at a media briefing in Mumbai.

Trade and Investment Revealed During India Visit

The Prime Minister has hailed a series of agreements finalized during his visit to the country – his maiden visit there – joined by 126 business leaders and cultural leaders. The visit marks the passing of the countries' trade pact.

• No 10 has unveiled a range of financial commitments, from fintech to university campuses, as well as the making of three Bollywood films in the UK.
• On the final day, Starmer finalized a military agreement worth £350m for British-made missiles, manufactured in Northern Ireland, to be deployed by the Indian army.

"The shared history is profound, the human connections between our citizens are truly special," he said as he departed Mumbai. "Expanding upon our historic trade deal, we are remaking this alliance for our times."

Digital Identification System Studied

The Prime Minister has spent time in Mumbai analyzing 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 verification.

He suggested that the UK was interested in expanding the scope of digital ID beyond making it compulsory to verify eligibility to work. He proposed that the Britain would in time look at linking it to financial and payments systems – on a optional basis – as well as for official procedures such as home loan and educational enrollments.

"It has been adopted on a voluntary basis [in India] in huge numbers, not least because it means that you can retrieve your own money, make payments so much more easily than is available with alternative methods," he noted.

"The speed with which it allows residents here to access services, especially financial services, is something that was recognized in our discussions recently, and actually a financial technology conversation that we had as well. So we're looking at those instances of how digital identification assists people with processes that sometimes take too long and are too cumbersome and makes them easier for them."

Popular Backing for Reforms

The Prime Minister admitted that the government had to make the case for the initiatives to the UK citizens, which have declined sharply in popularity since Starmer proposed them.

"I think now we need to go out and make that case the huge benefits ... And I think that the more people see the positive outcomes that accompany this ... as has happened in different nations, people say: 'That will make my life easier,' and consequently I want to proceed with it," he stated.

Human Rights and Global Affairs Discussed

The Prime Minister confirmed he had brought up a range of challenging issues with the Indian premier regarding civil liberties and relations with the Russian Federation, though he appeared to have made minimal progress. Starmer acknowledged that he and Modi discussed how India was persisting to purchase Russian oil, which is subject to extensive international restrictions.

"For prime minister Modi and myself the priority on ending this conflict and the various steps will be implemented to that purpose," he said. "And that was a wide range of discussion, but we did set out the actions that we are undertaking in regarding energy."

Starmer additionally mentioned he had brought up the case of the British Sikh activist the individual, from Scotland, who has been held in an Indian jail for almost a decade without facing a full trial. It is often cited as one of the most egregious cases of injustice among Britons still held overseas.

But, he did not suggest much advancement had been made. "Indeed, we brought up the diplomatic matters," he said. "We consistently address them when we have the chance to do so. I should say that the foreign secretary is scheduled to meet the relatives in the near future, as well as discussing it now."

Future Plans

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

That relationship is receiving attention because of the dismissal of a espionage investigation, reportedly occurring because the UK has been unwilling to provide new proof that China is considered a threat.

Starmer clarified the UK was eager to explore additional commercial partnerships but emphasized that a commercial agreement with the nation was not currently planned. "That's not on our list, for a bilateral pact as such, but our stance is to cooperate where we can, challenge where we must, and this has been the consistent policy of the government in regarding China."