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The Prime Minister has stated that the Gaza ceasefire agreement "could not have happened without President Trump's leadership," but stopped short of endorsing the US president for a Nobel peace prize.

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

Starmer remarked that the first phase of the agreement would be a "welcome news globally" and noted that the UK had contributed significantly behind the scenes with the US and negotiators.

Speaking on the final day of his business trip to the Indian subcontinent, the British leader emphasized that the deal "must now be implemented in full, without delay, and paired with the prompt removal of all limitations on critical humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Nobel Prize Question Answered

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

"What matters now is to press on and implement this ... my focus now is moving this from the phase it's at now ... and ensure the success of this, because that matters to me more than anything else," he stated at a press conference in Mumbai.

Trade and Investment Revealed During India Visit

Starmer has celebrated a number of deals finalized during his tour to India – his first time there – accompanied by over a hundred executives and cultural leaders. The visit signifies the passing of the two nations' free trade agreement.

• The UK government has announced a range of financial commitments, from fintech to higher education facilities, as well as the production of three Bollywood films in the UK.
• On the final day, the Prime Minister signed a military agreement worth £350m for British-made missiles, produced in Northern Ireland, to be deployed by the Indian military.

"Our history together is deep, the personal ties between our people are truly special," he said as he departed Mumbai. "Building on our historic trade deal, we are reinventing this partnership for our times."

Digital Identification System Studied

Starmer has dedicated time in India studying the national digital identification program, including consulting key figures who developed the widespread system used by more than 1 billion people for benefits, payments, and verification.

He hinted that the UK was considering broadening the scope of digital identification beyond making it compulsory to prove rights to work. He indicated that the Britain would in time look at connecting it to banking and payments systems – on a optional basis – as well as for administrative tasks such as mortgage and educational enrollments.

"It has been adopted on a optional basis [in India] in massive scale, not least because it ensures that you can access your own funds, conduct transactions so much more conveniently than is possible with others," he noted.

"The efficiency with which it allows residents here to access services, especially banking options, is something that was acknowledged in our talks recently, and actually a financial technology discussion that we had today. So we're looking at those instances of how digital ID assists individuals with processes that sometimes take too long and are overly complex and simplifies them for them."

Public Support for Changes

The Prime Minister admitted that the administration had to build public support for the initiatives to the British public, which have plummeted in public approval since Starmer announced them.

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

Human Rights and International Relations Addressed

The Prime Minister confirmed he had brought up a range of challenging issues with the Indian premier regarding human rights and ties with the Russian Federation, though he seemed to have made minimal progress. Starmer confirmed that he and Modi talked about how India was persisting to buy Russian oil, which is facing widespread western sanctions.

"For prime minister Modi and myself the focus on ending this conflict and the various steps will be taken to that end," he commented. "This included a wide range of dialogue, but we did set out the steps that we are taking in regarding energy."

Starmer also mentioned he had brought up the situation of the British Sikh activist the individual, from Dumbarton, who has been detained in an Indian jail for nearly eight years without facing a full trial. It is frequently mentioned as one of the worst examples of unfair treatment among UK nationals currently detained abroad.

But, he did not suggest much progress had been made. "Indeed, we did raise the diplomatic matters," he stated. "We always raise them when we have the chance to do so. I must add that the foreign secretary is scheduled to meet the relatives in the near future, as well as discussing it now."

Future Plans

The prime minister is widely expected to take a similar business-oriented trip to the People's Republic of China in the next 12 months as part of a mission to improve diplomatic ties between the United Kingdom and the Asian nation.

That relationship is receiving attention because of the dismissal of a espionage investigation, reportedly occurring because the British authorities has been unwilling to provide fresh evidence that the country is considered a threat.

Starmer clarified the United Kingdom was eager to pursue other trading relationships but stated that a trade deal with the nation was not on the agenda. "That's not on our list, for a bilateral pact as such, but our stance is to work together where we can, challenge where we need to, and that's been the ongoing approach of the government in regarding China."