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The Prime Minister has declared that the Gaza ceasefire agreement "would not have occurred without President Trump's leadership," yet stopped short of endorsing the American leader for a Nobel peace prize.

Truce Agreement Welcomed as a "Relief to the World"

The prime minister commented that the first phase of the deal would be a "welcome news globally" and highlighted that the UK had played its own role behind the scenes with the US and negotiators.

Addressing the media on the last day of his trade visit to the Indian subcontinent, Starmer stressed that the agreement "must now be implemented in full, without delay, and paired with the prompt removal of all limitations on life-saving humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Peace Prize Inquiry Addressed

However, when asked if the Nobel committee should at this time grant Donald Trump the prestigious award, Starmer implied that time was needed to know if a longer lasting peace could be achieved.

"The priority now is to press on and implement this ... my attention now is moving this from the phase it's at now ... and make a success of this, because that is important to me above all," he told reporters at a media briefing in India's financial capital.

Trade and Investment Revealed During Trip to India

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

• No 10 has announced a slew of investments, from financial technology to higher education facilities, as well as the production of three Bollywood films in the UK.
• On Thursday, Starmer signed a defence deal worth £350 million for British-made missiles, produced in the UK region, to be deployed by the Indian army.

"Our history together is deep, the personal ties between our citizens are exceptionally strong," Starmer remarked as he departed Mumbai. "Expanding upon our landmark agreement, we are reinventing this alliance for our era."

Digital ID System Examined

Starmer has dedicated time in India analyzing the national digital identification program, including consulting key figures who designed the comprehensive platform utilized by more than 1 billion people for benefits, transactions, and verification.

He suggested that the United Kingdom was interested in expanding the scope of digital identification beyond making it compulsory to prove rights to work. He proposed that the UK would in time look at linking it to banking and payments systems – on a optional basis – as well as for administrative tasks such as mortgage and school applications.

"It's been taken up on a voluntary basis [in India] in huge numbers, partly because it ensures that you can access your own money, make payments so much more easily than is available with alternative methods," he noted.

"The speed with which it enables residents here to access services, particularly financial services, is something that was acknowledged in our talks yesterday, and actually a Fintech conversation that we had as well. So we're examining those examples of how digital ID assists individuals with procedures that often take too long and are overly complex and makes them easier for them."

Public Support for Changes

Starmer acknowledged that the government had to make the case for the initiatives to the British public, which have plummeted in public approval since Starmer proposed them.

"In my view now we need to go out and advocate for the significant advantages ... And I believe that the more people see the benefits that accompany this ... as has happened in different nations, people say: 'That will make my life easier,' and consequently I want to get on with it," he affirmed.

Rights Issues and International Relations Addressed

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

"For both Prime Minister Modi and me the priority on ending this conflict and the various steps will be taken to that purpose," he commented. "This included a broad spectrum of dialogue, but we did set out the actions that we are undertaking in regarding energy."

The Prime Minister additionally mentioned he had brought up the case of the UK-based activist Jagtar Singh Johal, from Dumbarton, who has been held in an Indian prison for almost a decade without facing a complete legal process. It is often cited as one of the most egregious cases of unfair treatment among UK nationals currently detained overseas.

But, Starmer did not indicate much progress had been made. "Indeed, we did raise the consular cases," he said. "We always raise them when we have the chance to do so. I should say that the foreign secretary is scheduled to meet the relatives in the near future, as well as discussing 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 UK and the Asian nation.

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

The Prime Minister said the United Kingdom was keen to explore additional commercial partnerships but stated that a commercial agreement with China was not currently planned. "That's not on our list, for a bilateral pact as such, but our position is to work together where we are able, confront where we need to, and that's been the consistent policy of the government in relation to China."