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The Prime Minister has stated that the truce deal in Gaza "would not have occurred without the leadership of Donald Trump," yet avoided supporting the American leader for a Nobel Prize.

Ceasefire Deal Welcomed as a "Relief to the Globe"

Starmer remarked that the initial stage of the agreement would be a "relief to the world" and noted that the UK had contributed significantly behind the scenes with the United States and mediators.

Speaking on the last day of his business trip to the Indian subcontinent, Starmer emphasized that the agreement "must now be implemented in full, without postponement, and paired with the immediate lifting of all limitations on life-saving humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Nobel Prize Question Answered

However, when asked if the Nobel committee should now award Trump the prestigious award, the Prime Minister suggested that time was required to know if a durable peace could be achieved.

"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 is important to me more than anything else," he told reporters at a press conference in India's financial capital.

Business Deals Revealed During Trip to India

The Prime Minister has hailed a number of deals sealed during his visit to India – his first time there – joined by 126 business leaders and cultural leaders. The trip marks the implementation of the two nations' free trade agreement.

• No 10 has unveiled a slew of investments, from financial technology to higher education facilities, as well as the production of three Bollywood films in the United Kingdom.
• On the final day, the Prime Minister finalized a military agreement worth £350m for UK missiles, manufactured in the UK region, to be used by the Indian military.

"Our history together is profound, the human connections between our people are truly special," he remarked as he departed Mumbai. "Building on our historic trade deal, we are remaking this partnership for our times."

Digital ID System Examined

Starmer has dedicated time in India studying the national digital identification program, including consulting principal architects who developed the comprehensive platform used by more than 1 billion people for social services, payments, and verification.

The prime minister suggested that the United Kingdom was interested in expanding the scope of digital ID beyond making it mandatory to verify eligibility to work. He proposed that the UK would eventually look at connecting it to banking and transaction networks – on a optional basis – as well as for official procedures such as home loan and educational enrollments.

"It has been adopted on a optional basis [in India] in massive scale, not least because it ensures that you can retrieve your own funds, make payments so much more easily than is possible with others," he explained.

"The efficiency with which it allows residents here to access services, particularly banking options, 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 processes that sometimes take too long and are too cumbersome and makes them easier for them."

Popular Backing for Reforms

Starmer admitted that the administration had to make the case for the initiatives to the British public, which have declined sharply in popularity since Starmer announced them.

"I think now we need to go out and advocate for the huge benefits ... And I think that the more people see the positive outcomes that accompany this ... as has occurred in other countries, citizens say: 'That will make my life easier,' and consequently I want to get on with it," he affirmed.

Human Rights and Global Affairs Addressed

The Prime Minister confirmed he had brought up a range of challenging issues with the Indian premier regarding human rights and ties with Russia, though he seemed to have made little headway. He confirmed that he and Prime Minister Modi talked about how the country was continuing to buy Russian oil, which is facing widespread western sanctions.

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

Starmer additionally said he had brought up the case of the UK-based activist the individual, from Scotland, who has been detained in an Indian prison for nearly eight years without undergoing a full trial. It is often cited as one of the worst examples of injustice among UK nationals still held overseas.

But, he did not suggest much progress had been made. "Yes, we did raise the diplomatic matters," he said. "We always raise them when we have the chance to do so. I should say that the top diplomat is meeting the families in coming weeks, as well as discussing it today."

Future Plans

The prime minister is largely anticipated 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 relations between the United Kingdom and the Asian nation.

That relationship is receiving attention because of the dismissal of a espionage investigation, said to have happened because the British authorities has been unwilling to provide fresh evidence that the country is considered a security risk.

The Prime Minister clarified the United Kingdom was keen to pursue other trading relationships but stated that a commercial agreement with China was not on the agenda. "It is not a priority, for a trade deal as such, but our stance is to cooperate where we are able, challenge where we must, and this has been the consistent policy of the administration in relation to China."