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Keir Starmer has declared that the truce deal in Gaza "could not have happened without President Trump's leadership," yet avoided supporting the American leader for a Nobel peace prize.

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

Starmer commented that the first phase of the agreement would be a "welcome news globally" and noted that the United Kingdom had contributed significantly in private discussions with the US and negotiators.

Addressing the media on the final day of his business trip to the Indian subcontinent, Starmer stressed that the deal "must now be implemented in full, without delay, and paired with the immediate lifting of all restrictions on life-saving 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 implied that time was required to determine if a longer lasting peace could be achieved.

"The priority now is to press on and execute this ... my attention now is moving 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 media briefing in Mumbai.

Business Deals Announced During Trip to India

The Prime Minister has hailed a series of agreements sealed during his visit to India – his first time there – accompanied by over a hundred executives and arts figures. The visit signifies the implementation of the countries' trade pact.

• No 10 has unveiled a slew of investments, from financial technology to university campuses, as well as the production of multiple Indian movies in the United Kingdom.
• On Thursday, Starmer finalized a military agreement worth £350m for UK missiles, manufactured in Northern Ireland, to be used by the Indian military.

"Our history together is deep, the human connections between our people are exceptionally strong," Starmer remarked as he left Mumbai. "Building on our landmark agreement, we are remaking this alliance for our times."

Digital ID System Examined

The Prime Minister has dedicated time in Mumbai analyzing the national digital identification program, including consulting principal architects who developed the comprehensive platform utilized by over a billion individuals for social services, transactions, and identification.

The prime minister suggested that the UK was interested in expanding the application of digital identification beyond making it mandatory to prove rights to work. He indicated that the UK would eventually look at connecting it to banking and payments systems – on a voluntary basis – as well as for official procedures such as mortgage and educational enrollments.

"It's been taken up on a optional basis [in India] in huge numbers, not least because it means that you can retrieve your own funds, conduct transactions so much more easily than is available with others," he explained.

"The speed with which it allows residents here to access services, particularly financial services, is something that was recognized in our talks recently, and actually a Fintech discussion that we had today. So we're examining those examples of how digital identification helps people with procedures that sometimes take too long and are too cumbersome and simplifies them for them."

Public Support for Reforms

The Prime Minister admitted that the administration had to make the case for the initiatives to the British public, which have declined sharply in popularity since he proposed them.

"In my view now we need to go out and make that case the huge benefits ... And I believe that the more people see the benefits that accompany this ... as has happened in different nations, citizens say: 'That will simplify my daily routine,' and therefore I want to proceed with it," he stated.

Rights Issues and International Relations Discussed

Starmer said he had raised a range of challenging issues with the Indian leader regarding human rights and ties with the Russian Federation, though he seemed to have made minimal progress. He confirmed that he and Prime Minister Modi discussed how the country was persisting to buy oil from Russia, which is subject to extensive international restrictions.

"For prime minister Modi and myself the priority on ending this situation and the multiple measures will be taken to that purpose," he commented. "And that was a broad spectrum of dialogue, but we outlined the steps that we are taking in regarding energy."

Starmer also said he had raised the case of the British Sikh activist the individual, from Scotland, who has been detained in an Indian jail for nearly eight years without undergoing a complete legal process. It is frequently mentioned as one of the worst examples of unfair treatment among UK nationals still held overseas.

However, Starmer did not suggest much progress had been made. "Yes, 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 coming weeks, as well as raising it today."

Future Plans

Starmer is widely expected to take a comparable business-oriented visit to China in the next 12 months as part of a effort to ease relations between the United Kingdom and the Asian nation.

This bilateral connection is receiving attention because of the dismissal of a espionage investigation, said to have happened because the UK has been unwilling to provide fresh evidence that China is deemed a threat.

The Prime Minister clarified the UK was keen to pursue additional commercial partnerships but stated that a commercial agreement with the nation 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, confront where we need to, and that's been the consistent policy of the administration in regarding China."