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Keir Starmer has asserted that the Gaza ceasefire agreement "would not have occurred without President Trump's leadership," but avoided supporting the American leader for a Nobel peace prize.

Truce Agreement Welcomed as a "Relief to the Globe"

Starmer commented that the first phase of the deal would be a "relief to the world" and noted that the UK had played its own role behind the scenes with the United States and negotiators.

Addressing the media on the final day of his trade visit to India, the British leader 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."

Peace Prize Question Addressed

But, when asked if the Nobel committee should at this time award Donald Trump the coveted prize, the Prime Minister implied that more time was required to determine if a longer lasting peace could be achieved.

"What matters now is to press on and implement this ... my focus now is transitioning this from the stage it's at now ... and ensure the success of this, because that is important to me above all," he stated at a press conference in Mumbai.

Business Deals Revealed During Trip to India

The Prime Minister has hailed a number of deals finalized during his visit to the country – his maiden visit there – accompanied by 126 business leaders and cultural leaders. The trip marks the passing of the two nations' trade pact.

• No 10 has unveiled a range of financial commitments, from financial technology to university campuses, as well as the production of three Bollywood films in the United Kingdom.
• On Thursday, Starmer signed a defence deal worth £350 million for UK missiles, produced in Northern Ireland, to be used by the Indian army.

"The shared history is deep, the human connections between our citizens are truly special," he said as he left Mumbai. "Building on our landmark agreement, we are remaking this partnership for our times."

Digital ID System Studied

The Prime Minister has spent time in India studying the national digital identification program, including meeting principal architects who designed the widespread system utilized by more than 1 billion people for social services, transactions, and identification.

He suggested that the United Kingdom was considering broadening the scope of digital ID beyond making it compulsory to verify eligibility to work. He indicated that the Britain would in time look at connecting it to banking 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 optional basis [in India] in massive scale, partly because it means that you can retrieve your own funds, make payments so much more conveniently than is available with others," he noted.

"The speed with which it enables residents here to access services, especially banking options, is something that was acknowledged in our talks recently, and in fact a financial technology conversation that we had today. So we're looking at those examples of how digital identification helps people with processes that sometimes take too long and are overly complex and makes them easier for them."

Popular Backing for Changes

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

"I think now we need to go out and make that case the significant advantages ... And I think that the more people see the benefits that accompany this ... as has happened in other countries, citizens say: 'That will make my life easier,' and therefore I want to get on with it," he stated.

Rights Issues and Global Affairs Addressed

Starmer confirmed he had brought up a number of difficult topics with the Indian leader regarding civil liberties and ties with Russia, though he appeared to have made minimal progress. He acknowledged that he and Prime Minister Modi talked about how the country was persisting to purchase Russian oil, which is subject to widespread western sanctions.

"For prime minister Modi and myself the focus on ending this situation and the multiple measures will be taken to that purpose," he commented. "This included a broad spectrum of discussion, but we outlined the actions that we are undertaking in relation to energy."

The Prime Minister also said he had raised the case of the UK-based activist the individual, from Dumbarton, who has been held 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 UK nationals currently detained abroad.

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

Future Plans

The prime minister is widely expected to take a comparable trade-focused trip to the People's Republic of China in the next 12 months as part of a effort to improve relations between the UK and the Asian nation.

This bilateral connection is under the spotlight because of the dismissal of a Chinese spying case, reportedly occurring because the British authorities has been reluctant to provide fresh evidence that the country is considered a threat.

Starmer said the United Kingdom was keen to pursue other trading relationships but stated that a commercial agreement with China was not on the agenda. "That's not on our list, for a trade deal as such, but our position is to cooperate where we can, confront where we must, and that's been the ongoing approach of the government in relation to China."