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Keir Starmer has asserted that the Gaza ceasefire agreement "would not have occurred without President Trump's leadership," yet avoided endorsing the US president for a Nobel Prize.

Truce Agreement Hailed as a "Welcome Development to the World"

The prime minister remarked that the initial stage of the deal would be a "relief to the world" and highlighted that the UK had contributed significantly behind the scenes with the US and negotiators.

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

Peace Prize Question Answered

However, when questioned if the Nobel committee should at this time award Trump the coveted award, Starmer implied that more time was required to know if a longer lasting peace could be attained.

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

Trade and Investment Revealed During Trip to India

Starmer has celebrated a series of agreements sealed during his visit to India – his first time there – joined by 126 business leaders and cultural leaders. The visit marks the implementation of the countries' trade pact.

• No 10 has unveiled a slew of investments, from fintech to higher education facilities, as well as the production of multiple Indian movies in the UK.
• On Thursday, the Prime Minister signed a military agreement worth £350m for UK missiles, produced in Northern Ireland, to be deployed by the Indian army.

"The shared history is profound, the human connections between our citizens are exceptionally strong," Starmer remarked as he departed Mumbai. "Expanding upon our historic trade deal, we are reinventing this partnership for our era."

Digital ID System Studied

Starmer has spent time in India studying the national digital identification program, including consulting key figures who designed the comprehensive platform utilized by over a billion individuals for benefits, payments, and identification.

He hinted that the UK was interested in expanding the scope of digital identification beyond making it mandatory to prove rights to work. He indicated that the UK would in time look at linking it to banking and transaction networks – on a voluntary basis – as well as for administrative tasks such as home loan and educational enrollments.

"It has been adopted on a optional basis [in India] in massive scale, partly because it means that you can access your own funds, make payments so much more easily than is possible with alternative methods," he explained.

"The speed with which it enables citizens here to access services, especially banking options, is something that was recognized in our talks recently, and actually a Fintech conversation that we had today. So we're looking at those examples of how digital ID helps people with processes that often take excessive time and are too cumbersome and simplifies them for them."

Public Support for Changes

Starmer acknowledged that the government had to make the case for the initiatives to the UK citizens, which have plummeted in popularity since Starmer announced them.

"In my view now we need to go out and advocate for the significant advantages ... And I think that the more people see the benefits that accompany this ... as has occurred in different nations, people say: 'That will simplify my daily routine,' and consequently I want to get on with it," he stated.

Rights Issues and Global Affairs Addressed

Starmer confirmed he had raised a number of difficult topics with the Indian premier regarding civil liberties and relations with the Russian Federation, though he appeared to have made minimal progress. Starmer confirmed that he and Prime Minister Modi talked about how India was persisting to purchase oil from Russia, which is subject to widespread western sanctions.

"For prime minister Modi and myself the priority on ending this conflict and the multiple measures will be taken to that purpose," he said. "This included a wide range of dialogue, but we outlined the steps that we are taking in regarding energy."

The Prime Minister also mentioned he had brought up the situation of the UK-based activist Jagtar Singh Johal, from Dumbarton, who has been detained in an Indian jail for nearly eight years without facing a full trial. It is often cited as one of the most egregious cases of injustice among UK nationals still held abroad.

However, he did not suggest much advancement had been achieved. "Yes, we brought up 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 families in coming weeks, as well as raising it today."

Upcoming Initiatives

Starmer is largely anticipated to take a similar trade-focused trip to the People's Republic of China in the coming year as part of a mission to ease diplomatic ties between the UK and China.

This bilateral connection is under the spotlight because of the collapse of a espionage investigation, said to have happened because the British authorities has been reluctant to provide new proof that the country is considered a threat.

Starmer said the United Kingdom was eager to explore additional commercial partnerships but emphasized that a trade deal with China was not currently planned. "That's not on our list, for a trade deal as such, but our position is to work together where we are able, challenge where we need to, and that's been the ongoing approach of the administration in regarding China."