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The Prime Minister has stated that the Gaza ceasefire agreement "could not have happened without the leadership of Donald Trump," yet stopped short of supporting the American leader for a Nobel peace prize.

Truce Agreement Welcomed as a "Relief to the Globe"

The prime minister commented that the initial stage of the deal would be a "welcome news globally" and noted that the United Kingdom had played its own role in private discussions with the United States and mediators.

Addressing the media on the last day of his trade visit to the Indian subcontinent, the British leader emphasized that the deal "must now be implemented in full, without postponement, and paired with the immediate lifting of all limitations on life-saving humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Nobel Prize Question Addressed

But, when questioned if the Nobel committee should now grant Donald Trump the coveted prize, Starmer implied that time was required to know if a durable peace could be achieved.

"The priority now is to move forward 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 Mumbai.

Trade and Investment Announced During Trip to India

The Prime Minister has celebrated a number of deals finalized during his visit to the country – his maiden visit there – accompanied by over a hundred executives and arts figures. The trip signifies the implementation of the countries' trade pact.

• No 10 has unveiled a slew of investments, from fintech to university campuses, as well as the making of three Bollywood films in the UK.
• On the final day, the Prime Minister finalized a defence deal worth £350m for UK missiles, manufactured 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," he remarked as he departed Mumbai. "Building on our historic trade deal, we are reinventing this alliance for our era."

Digital Identification System Studied

The Prime Minister has spent time in Mumbai studying the Indian digital ID system, including consulting key figures who designed the comprehensive platform utilized 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 proposed that the UK would in time look at connecting 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 massive scale, not least because it means that you can retrieve your own money, make payments so much more easily than is possible with others," he explained.

"The speed with which it enables residents here to utilize facilities, especially banking options, is something that was recognized in our discussions yesterday, and actually a Fintech conversation that we had as well. So we're examining those examples of how digital ID helps people with processes that sometimes take excessive time and are overly complex and makes them easier for them."

Popular Backing for Changes

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

"I think now we need to go out and make that case the significant advantages ... And I think that the greater number of individuals see the positive outcomes that come with this ... as has occurred in other countries, people say: 'That will simplify my daily routine,' and consequently I want to proceed with it," he stated.

Rights Issues and International Relations Addressed

Starmer said he had raised a number of difficult topics with the Indian leader regarding human rights and relations with the Russian Federation, though he seemed to have made little headway. He acknowledged that he and Modi talked about how the country was continuing to purchase Russian oil, which is subject to widespread western sanctions.

"For both Prime Minister Modi and me the priority on resolving this conflict and the various steps will be implemented to that end," he commented. "This included a wide range of discussion, but we did set out the steps that we are undertaking in relation to energy."

Starmer also said he had brought up the case of the British Sikh activist the individual, from Dumbarton, who has been held in an Indian jail for nearly eight years without undergoing a complete legal process. It is frequently mentioned as one of the worst examples of injustice among Britons still held overseas.

But, Starmer did not indicate much advancement had been achieved. "Yes, we brought up the consular cases," he stated. "We consistently address them when we have the chance to do so. I should say that the top diplomat is meeting the families in the near future, as well as discussing it now."

Future Plans

The prime minister is largely anticipated to take a similar business-oriented trip to China in the coming year as part of a mission to ease relations between the United Kingdom and China.

This bilateral connection is under the spotlight 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 China is deemed a security risk.

The Prime Minister said the United Kingdom was eager to pursue other trading relationships but stated that a trade deal with the nation was not on the agenda. "It is not a priority, for a trade deal as such, but our position is to work together where we are able, confront where we must, and this has been the ongoing approach of the government in relation to China."