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Keir Starmer has stated that the truce deal in Gaza "could not have happened without the leadership of Donald Trump," but stopped short of supporting the US president for a Nobel Prize.

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

The prime minister commented that the first phase of the agreement would be a "welcome news globally" and highlighted that the United Kingdom had played its own role in private discussions with the United States and mediators.

Addressing the media on the final day of his business trip to India, the British leader stressed that the deal "must now be implemented in full, without postponement, and accompanied by the immediate lifting of all restrictions on life-saving humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Nobel Prize Inquiry Answered

However, when questioned if the Nobel prize committee should now award Trump the coveted prize, Starmer implied that more time was required to determine if a durable peace could be attained.

"The priority now is to move forward and execute this ... my focus now is moving this from the stage it's at now ... and make a success of this, because that matters to me more than anything else," he stated at a press conference in India's financial capital.

Trade and Investment Announced During India Visit

The Prime Minister has hailed a series of agreements finalized during his visit to the country – his first time there – joined by 126 business leaders and arts figures. The visit signifies the passing of the two nations' trade pact.

• No 10 has announced a slew of investments, from fintech to university campuses, as well as the production of multiple Indian movies in the United Kingdom.
• On the final day, Starmer finalized a defence deal worth £350 million for British-made missiles, produced in Northern Ireland, to be used by the Indian army.

"Our history together is profound, the personal ties between our people are exceptionally strong," he remarked as he left the city. "Building on our historic trade deal, we are reinventing this alliance for our times."

Digital ID System Studied

Starmer has dedicated time in Mumbai analyzing the Indian digital ID system, including consulting key figures who designed the comprehensive platform used by over a billion individuals for social services, payments, and verification.

The prime minister hinted that the UK was considering broadening the scope of digital ID beyond making it compulsory to verify eligibility to work. He indicated that the UK would eventually look at linking it to banking and transaction networks – on a optional basis – as well as for official procedures such as mortgage and school applications.

"It has been adopted on a optional basis [in India] in massive scale, partly because it means that you can retrieve your own money, conduct transactions so much more easily than is possible with others," he explained.

"The efficiency with which it enables residents here to access services, especially financial services, is something that was acknowledged in our talks recently, and in fact a Fintech conversation that we had as well. So we're examining those instances 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 Changes

The Prime Minister admitted that the administration had to make the case for the initiatives to the UK citizens, which have plummeted in public approval since Starmer proposed them.

"I think now we need to go out and advocate for the significant advantages ... And I believe that the greater number of individuals see the positive outcomes that come with 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

Starmer said he had brought up a number of difficult topics with the Indian leader regarding human rights and relations with the Russian Federation, though he appeared to have made minimal progress. He confirmed that he and Prime Minister Modi talked about how India was continuing to purchase Russian oil, which is facing extensive international restrictions.

"For prime minister Modi and myself the focus on resolving 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 undertaking in regarding energy."

The Prime Minister also said he had brought up the situation of the UK-based activist the individual, from Scotland, who has been held in an Indian prison for nearly eight years without undergoing a full trial. It is frequently mentioned as one of the worst examples of injustice among UK nationals currently detained abroad.

But, Starmer did not suggest much advancement had been made. "Yes, we did raise the diplomatic matters," he said. "We always raise them when we have the opportunity to do so. I must add that the foreign secretary is scheduled to meet the families in the near future, as well as raising it today."

Upcoming Initiatives

Starmer is widely expected to take a similar business-oriented visit to China in the next 12 months as part of a mission to improve diplomatic ties between the United Kingdom and China.

That relationship is under the spotlight because of the dismissal of a espionage investigation, said to have happened because the British authorities has been unwilling to provide new proof that the country is considered a security risk.

The Prime Minister clarified the UK 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 bilateral pact as such, but our position is to cooperate where we can, confront where we need to, and this has been the consistent policy of the administration in regarding China."