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The Prime Minister has asserted that the Gaza ceasefire agreement "would not have occurred without President Trump's leadership," but avoided endorsing the US president for a Nobel Prize.

Ceasefire Deal Hailed as a "Welcome Development to the Globe"

The prime minister commented that the first phase of the deal would be a "welcome news globally" and noted that the United Kingdom had contributed significantly behind the scenes with the United States and mediators.

Speaking on the final day of his business trip to the Indian subcontinent, the British leader stressed that the deal "needs to be put into action in full, without delay, and accompanied by the prompt removal of all limitations on critical humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Nobel Prize Question Addressed

But, when asked if the Nobel prize committee should now award Trump the coveted prize, Starmer suggested that more time was needed to determine if a durable peace could be attained.

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

Trade and Investment Announced During India Visit

The Prime Minister has celebrated a number of deals finalized during his visit to the country – his maiden visit there – joined by over a hundred executives and cultural leaders. The trip marks the implementation of the two nations' free trade agreement.

• No 10 has announced a range of financial commitments, from financial technology to higher education facilities, as well as the production of three Bollywood films in the UK.
• On Thursday, Starmer finalized a military agreement worth £350 million for UK missiles, manufactured in Northern Ireland, to be used by the Indian military.

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

Digital Identification System Examined

Starmer has spent time in Mumbai studying the Indian digital ID system, including meeting key figures who developed the widespread system used by over a billion individuals for benefits, transactions, and verification.

The prime minister suggested that the UK was considering broadening the scope of digital identification beyond making it compulsory to verify eligibility to work. He proposed that the Britain would eventually look at linking it to financial and transaction networks – 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 massive scale, not least because it ensures that you can retrieve your own funds, conduct transactions so much more conveniently than is available with alternative methods," he noted.

"The speed with which it enables citizens here to access services, especially banking options, is something that was acknowledged in our discussions yesterday, and in fact a Fintech conversation that we had as well. So we're looking at those examples of how digital identification helps individuals with processes that often take excessive time and are overly complex and simplifies them for them."

Popular Backing for Reforms

Starmer admitted that the administration had to build public support for the initiatives to the UK citizens, which have plummeted in public approval since he announced them.

"I think now we need to go out and make that case the significant advantages ... And I believe that the greater number of individuals see the positive outcomes that accompany this ... as has occurred in different nations, citizens say: 'That will simplify my daily routine,' and therefore I want to get on with it," he stated.

Rights Issues and International Relations Addressed

The Prime Minister confirmed he had brought up a range of challenging issues with the Indian leader regarding human rights and ties with Russia, though he appeared to have made little headway. He confirmed that he and Prime Minister Modi discussed how India was continuing to purchase oil from Russia, which is facing extensive international restrictions.

"For prime minister Modi and myself the focus on resolving this conflict and the multiple measures will be implemented to that end," he said. "This included a wide range of dialogue, but we did set out the actions that we are undertaking in relation to energy."

The Prime Minister additionally mentioned he had brought up the case of the UK-based activist Jagtar Singh Johal, from Scotland, who has been detained in an Indian prison for nearly eight years without undergoing a complete legal process. It is often cited as one of the most egregious cases of injustice among Britons still held abroad.

But, he did not suggest much progress had been achieved. "Yes, we brought up the diplomatic matters," he said. "We consistently address them when we have the opportunity to do so. I must add that the top diplomat is meeting the relatives in coming weeks, as well as discussing it today."

Upcoming Initiatives

Starmer is widely expected to take a comparable trade-focused visit to the People's Republic of China in the coming year as part of a mission to ease diplomatic ties between the UK 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 reluctant to provide fresh evidence that China is considered a threat.

The Prime Minister clarified the United Kingdom was keen to explore additional commercial partnerships but stated that a trade deal with the nation was not currently planned. "It is not a priority, for a trade deal as such, but our stance is to work together where we are able, challenge where we need to, and this has been the ongoing approach of the government in regarding China."