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

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

Starmer commented that the initial stage of the deal would be a "welcome news globally" and highlighted that the United Kingdom had contributed significantly in private discussions with the US and negotiators.

Speaking on the last day of his business trip to the Indian subcontinent, the British leader emphasized that the agreement "must now be implemented in full, without postponement, and accompanied by the prompt removal of all limitations on life-saving humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Peace Prize Question Answered

But, when asked if the Nobel committee should at this time grant Donald Trump the prestigious prize, the Prime Minister suggested that time was required to determine if a longer lasting peace could be attained.

"The priority now is to press on and implement this ... my focus now is transitioning this from the phase it's at now ... and ensure the success of this, because that is important to me more than anything else," he told reporters at a press conference in India's financial capital.

Trade and Investment Revealed During India Visit

Starmer has celebrated a number of deals finalized during his tour to the country – his first time there – joined by 126 business leaders and arts figures. The visit marks the passing of the two nations' free trade agreement.

• No 10 has unveiled a range of financial commitments, from financial technology to higher education facilities, as well as the making of three Bollywood films in the United Kingdom.
• On the final day, Starmer finalized a defence deal worth £350m for UK missiles, manufactured in the UK region, to be used by the Indian army.

"Our history together is deep, the human connections between our citizens are truly special," Starmer remarked as he left Mumbai. "Building on our landmark agreement, we are remaking this partnership for our era."

Digital ID Initiative Examined

Starmer has dedicated time in India studying the national digital identification program, including meeting principal architects who designed the widespread system used by more than 1 billion people for social services, payments, and verification.

The prime minister hinted that the United Kingdom was interested in expanding the scope of digital identification beyond making it mandatory to prove rights to work. He indicated that the Britain would eventually look at linking it to banking and payments systems – on a voluntary basis – as well as for official procedures such as mortgage 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, conduct transactions so much more easily than is possible with others," he noted.

"The efficiency with which it allows citizens here to utilize facilities, especially financial services, is something that was recognized in our discussions recently, and actually a financial technology conversation that we had today. So we're examining those instances of how digital ID helps people with procedures that often take excessive time and are too cumbersome and simplifies them for them."

Public Support for Reforms

Starmer acknowledged that the government had to build public support for the initiatives to the British public, which have declined sharply in public approval since he proposed them.

"In my view now we need to go out and advocate for the significant advantages ... And I believe that the more people see the positive outcomes that come with this ... as has happened in other countries, citizens say: 'That will simplify my daily routine,' and therefore I want to proceed with it," he stated.

Human Rights and International Relations Discussed

Starmer said he had brought up a range of challenging issues with the Indian leader regarding civil liberties and relations with the Russian Federation, though he appeared to have made little headway. Starmer acknowledged that he and Prime Minister Modi discussed how the country was continuing to buy oil from Russia, which is facing extensive international restrictions.

"For prime minister Modi and myself the focus on resolving this situation and the multiple measures will be taken to that purpose," he commented. "And that was a wide range of discussion, but we outlined the actions that we are undertaking in regarding energy."

The Prime Minister additionally mentioned he had brought up the case of the British Sikh activist the individual, from Dumbarton, who has been detained in an Indian jail for almost a decade without undergoing a complete legal process. It is frequently mentioned as one of the worst examples of unfair treatment among Britons still held abroad.

However, he did not suggest much advancement had been made. "Indeed, we did raise the diplomatic matters," he stated. "We consistently address them when we have the opportunity to do so. I should say that the foreign secretary is meeting the families in the near future, as well as discussing it today."

Future Plans

The prime minister is widely expected to take a comparable business-oriented visit to the People's Republic of China in the coming year as part of a mission to improve relations between the UK and the Asian nation.

That relationship is under the spotlight because of the collapse of a espionage investigation, reportedly occurring because the British authorities has been reluctant to provide new proof that China is considered a security risk.

The Prime Minister clarified the United Kingdom was keen to explore other trading relationships but emphasized that a trade deal with the nation was not on the agenda. "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 regarding China."