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The Prime Minister has declared that the truce deal in Gaza "would not have occurred without the leadership of Donald Trump," yet stopped short of endorsing the American leader for a Nobel Prize.

Truce Agreement Welcomed as a "Welcome Development to the Globe"

The prime minister commented that the initial stage of the deal would be a "welcome news globally" and highlighted that the United Kingdom had contributed significantly in private discussions with the United States and negotiators.

Speaking on the last day of his business trip to the Indian subcontinent, the British leader emphasized that the agreement "needs to be put into action in full, without postponement, and paired with the immediate lifting of all restrictions on life-saving humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Nobel Prize Question Answered

However, when asked if the Nobel committee should at this time grant Trump the prestigious prize, Starmer suggested that more time was needed to determine if a durable peace could be attained.

"What matters now is to move forward and implement this ... my focus now is transitioning this from the phase it's at now ... and make a success of this, because that is important to me above all," he stated at a press conference in Mumbai.

Business Deals Announced During Trip to India

Starmer has celebrated a series of agreements sealed during his visit to the country – his first time there – accompanied by over a hundred executives and cultural leaders. The trip signifies the passing of the countries' free trade agreement.

• No 10 has announced a slew of investments, from fintech to university campuses, as well as the making of three Bollywood films in the United Kingdom.
• On the final day, Starmer signed a military agreement worth £350m for UK missiles, manufactured in Northern Ireland, to be used by the Indian military.

"Our history together is profound, the personal ties between our citizens are truly special," Starmer remarked as he departed Mumbai. "Expanding upon our historic trade deal, we are remaking this partnership for our era."

Digital ID System Studied

The Prime Minister has dedicated time in Mumbai analyzing the national digital identification program, including consulting principal architects who designed the widespread system used by over a billion individuals for benefits, transactions, and verification.

He hinted that the UK was considering expanding the application of digital ID beyond making it compulsory to prove rights to work. He proposed that the Britain would eventually look at linking it to financial and payments systems – on a voluntary basis – as well as for official procedures such as mortgage and educational enrollments.

"It has been adopted on a optional basis [in India] in huge numbers, not least because it means that you can retrieve your own funds, conduct transactions so much more conveniently than is possible with others," he explained.

"The speed with which it allows citizens here to access services, particularly financial services, is something that was recognized in our discussions recently, and in fact a Fintech conversation that we had today. So we're examining those examples of how digital identification helps people with processes that often take too long and are too cumbersome and simplifies them for them."

Public Support for Changes

The Prime Minister admitted that the government had to build public support for the reforms to the British public, which have plummeted in popularity 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 positive outcomes that come with this ... as has happened in other countries, people say: 'That will simplify my daily routine,' and consequently I want to get on with it," he affirmed.

Human Rights and International Relations Addressed

Starmer said he had brought up a range of challenging issues with the Indian leader regarding civil liberties and ties 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 continuing to purchase oil from Russia, which is facing widespread western sanctions.

"For both Prime Minister Modi and me the focus on ending this conflict and the multiple measures will be implemented to that end," he commented. "And that was a wide range of discussion, but we outlined the actions that we are taking in regarding energy."

Starmer additionally mentioned he had raised the situation of the British Sikh activist Jagtar Singh Johal, from Scotland, who has been detained in an Indian prison for almost a decade without facing a complete legal process. It is frequently mentioned as one of the most egregious cases of unfair treatment among UK nationals currently detained overseas.

However, Starmer did not suggest much advancement had been made. "Indeed, we did raise the consular cases," he said. "We always raise them when we have the opportunity to do so. I should say that the top diplomat is meeting the families in coming weeks, as well as raising it today."

Future Plans

The prime minister is widely expected to take a similar business-oriented trip to the People's Republic of China in the coming year as part of a mission to ease relations between the UK and China.

This bilateral connection is under the spotlight because of the dismissal of a espionage investigation, reportedly occurring because the UK has been reluctant to provide fresh evidence that the country is considered a security risk.

The Prime Minister said the UK was eager to pursue additional commercial partnerships but emphasized that a trade deal with the nation 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 can, confront where we must, and this has been the consistent policy of the government in regarding China."