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Keir Starmer has declared that the truce deal in Gaza "could not have happened without President Trump's leadership," but stopped short of endorsing the American leader for a Nobel Prize.

Truce Agreement Welcomed as a "Relief to the Globe"

The prime minister remarked that the initial stage of the deal would be a "relief to the world" and highlighted that the United Kingdom had contributed significantly in private discussions with the United States and negotiators.

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

Nobel Prize Question Addressed

However, when asked if the Nobel prize committee should now grant Trump the prestigious prize, the Prime Minister suggested that time was needed to determine if a durable peace could be attained.

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

Business Deals Announced 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 cultural leaders. The visit signifies the implementation of the countries' free trade agreement.

• The UK government has unveiled a slew of investments, from fintech to higher education facilities, as well as the production of multiple Indian movies in the United Kingdom.
• On Thursday, the Prime Minister signed a military agreement worth £350 million for British-made missiles, manufactured in the UK region, to be deployed by the Indian army.

"The shared history is deep, the human connections between our citizens are truly special," Starmer said as he left the city. "Expanding upon our historic trade deal, we are reinventing this partnership for our times."

Digital ID Initiative Studied

Starmer has dedicated time in Mumbai analyzing the Indian digital ID system, including meeting key figures who designed the comprehensive platform used by more than 1 billion people for benefits, transactions, and verification.

He suggested that the United Kingdom was interested in broadening the scope of digital ID beyond making it mandatory to prove rights to work. He proposed that the UK would in time look at linking it to banking and transaction networks – on a voluntary basis – as well as for official procedures such as home loan and school applications.

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

"The speed with which it enables residents here to access services, especially banking options, is something that was acknowledged in our discussions recently, and in fact a Fintech discussion that we had as well. So we're examining those examples of how digital ID helps individuals with processes that often take too long and are overly complex and simplifies them for them."

Popular Backing for Changes

Starmer admitted that the administration had to build public support 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 advocate for the significant advantages ... And I think 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.

Human Rights and Global Affairs Discussed

Starmer confirmed he had raised a number of difficult topics with the Indian leader regarding civil liberties and relations with the Russian Federation, though he appeared to have made minimal progress. He confirmed that he and Prime Minister Modi discussed how the country was continuing to purchase oil from Russia, which is facing 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 end," he said. "And that was a wide range of discussion, but we outlined the steps that we are taking in relation to energy."

The Prime Minister additionally mentioned he had raised the situation of the British Sikh activist Jagtar Singh Johal, from Dumbarton, who has been detained in an Indian prison for nearly eight years without undergoing a complete legal process. It is often cited as one of the worst examples of injustice among Britons still held abroad.

But, Starmer did not suggest much advancement had been made. "Indeed, we brought up the diplomatic matters," 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 today."

Upcoming Initiatives

The prime minister is largely anticipated to take a comparable 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 UK and the Asian nation.

This bilateral connection is under the spotlight because of the collapse of a espionage investigation, reportedly occurring because the UK has been unwilling to provide new proof that China is deemed a threat.

The Prime Minister said the UK was eager to explore additional commercial partnerships but stated that a commercial agreement with the nation was not currently planned. "It is not a priority, for a bilateral pact as such, but our stance is to cooperate where we are able, challenge where we must, and this has been the consistent policy of the administration in regarding China."