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The Prime Minister has stated that the Gaza ceasefire agreement "would not have occurred without the leadership of Donald Trump," but avoided endorsing the US president for a Nobel peace prize.

Truce Agreement Welcomed as a "Relief to the World"

The prime minister remarked that the initial stage of the agreement 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 trade visit to India, the British leader emphasized that the deal "needs to be put into action in full, without delay, and accompanied by the prompt removal of all restrictions on life-saving humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Peace Prize Inquiry Answered

However, when asked if the Nobel committee should now award Donald Trump the prestigious prize, Starmer suggested that more time was required to know if a longer lasting peace could be attained.

"What matters now is to press on and execute this ... my attention 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 hailed a number of deals sealed during his visit to India – his first time there – joined by over a hundred executives and cultural leaders. The trip signifies the implementation of the two nations' trade pact.

• No 10 has unveiled a range of financial commitments, from financial technology to higher education facilities, as well as the making of multiple Indian movies in the UK.
• On the final day, Starmer finalized a military agreement worth £350 million for British-made missiles, manufactured in the UK region, to be deployed by the Indian military.

"Our history together is deep, the personal ties between our people are truly special," Starmer remarked as he left the city. "Expanding upon our historic trade deal, we are reinventing this alliance for our era."

Digital Identification Initiative Studied

The Prime Minister has spent time in India studying the Indian digital ID system, including meeting key figures who developed the comprehensive platform used by more than 1 billion people for social services, transactions, and identification.

He hinted that the United Kingdom was interested in broadening the scope of digital ID beyond making it compulsory to prove rights to work. He indicated that the UK would in time look at linking it to financial and transaction networks – on a optional basis – as well as for official procedures such as home loan and school applications.

"It has been adopted on a optional basis [in India] in huge numbers, not least because it means that you can access your own money, make payments so much more conveniently than is possible with others," he noted.

"The speed with which it allows residents here to utilize facilities, particularly banking options, is something that was recognized in our discussions recently, and in fact a financial technology discussion that we had today. So we're looking at those examples of how digital ID assists people with procedures that often take excessive time and are overly complex and simplifies them for them."

Popular Backing for Reforms

The Prime Minister admitted that the government had to build public support for the reforms to the British public, which have declined sharply in public approval since he announced them.

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

Human Rights and International Relations Addressed

Starmer confirmed he had raised a range of challenging issues with the Indian premier regarding human rights and relations with the Russian Federation, though he seemed to have made little headway. Starmer acknowledged that he and Prime Minister Modi talked about how the country was continuing to purchase oil from Russia, which is subject to widespread western sanctions.

"For both Prime Minister Modi and me the priority on ending this conflict and the various steps will be taken to that purpose," he said. "And that was a broad spectrum of discussion, but we outlined the actions that we are undertaking in relation to energy."

Starmer additionally mentioned he had brought up the situation of the British Sikh activist the individual, from Scotland, 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 worst examples of unfair treatment among Britons still held abroad.

However, he did not indicate much progress had been achieved. "Indeed, we brought up the consular cases," he stated. "We consistently address them when we have the opportunity to do so. I should say that the top diplomat is scheduled to meet 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 China in the coming year as part of a mission to improve relations between the UK and China.

This bilateral connection is receiving attention because of the dismissal of a espionage investigation, reportedly occurring because the UK has been unwilling to provide fresh evidence that the country is deemed a threat.

Starmer clarified the United Kingdom was eager to explore other trading relationships but emphasized that a commercial agreement with the nation was not currently planned. "That's not on our list, for a trade deal as such, but our stance is to work together where we can, confront where we need to, and that's been the ongoing approach of the government in relation to China."