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Keir Starmer has stated that the truce deal in Gaza "could not have happened without the leadership of Donald Trump," yet stopped short of endorsing the American leader for a Nobel Prize.

Ceasefire Deal Welcomed as a "Relief to the World"

Starmer commented that the initial stage of the agreement would be a "welcome news globally" and noted that the United Kingdom had played its own role behind the scenes with the United States and mediators.

Addressing the media on the last day of his trade visit 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 critical humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Peace Prize Inquiry Addressed

However, when asked if the Nobel prize committee should at this time award Trump the coveted award, Starmer suggested that time was needed to know if a longer lasting peace could be achieved.

"The priority now is to move forward and implement this ... my focus now is moving this from the phase it's at now ... and ensure the success of this, because that is important to me above all," he stated at a media briefing in India's financial capital.

Trade and Investment Revealed During India Visit

Starmer has celebrated a series of agreements finalized during his tour to the country – his first time there – joined by 126 business leaders and arts figures. The visit marks the passing of the countries' free trade agreement.

• No 10 has announced a range of financial commitments, from fintech to higher education facilities, as well as the production of three Bollywood films in the United Kingdom.
• On the final day, the Prime Minister signed a defence deal worth £350 million for British-made missiles, produced in the UK region, to be deployed by the Indian military.

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

Digital ID System Studied

The Prime Minister has spent time in India studying the Indian digital ID system, including consulting key figures who designed the comprehensive platform utilized by more than 1 billion people for social services, transactions, and identification.

He hinted that the United Kingdom was interested in broadening the application of digital identification beyond making it compulsory to verify eligibility to work. He proposed that the Britain would in time look at linking it to banking and payments systems – on a optional 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, partly because it means that you can access your own money, make payments so much more conveniently than is available with alternative methods," he explained.

"The efficiency with which it enables residents here to access services, especially banking options, is something that was recognized in our talks recently, and in fact a financial technology 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 overly complex and simplifies them for them."

Public Support for Reforms

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

"In my view 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 accompany this ... as has happened in other countries, people say: 'That will simplify my daily routine,' and therefore I want to get on with it," he affirmed.

Human Rights and International Relations Discussed

The Prime Minister confirmed he had brought up a range of challenging issues with the Indian leader regarding civil liberties and ties with Russia, though he appeared to have made little headway. He confirmed that he and Prime Minister Modi talked about how the country was persisting to buy Russian oil, which is facing widespread western sanctions.

"For both Prime Minister Modi and me the focus on ending this situation and the various steps will be taken to that end," he commented. "This included a wide range of discussion, but we did set out the actions that we are taking in regarding energy."

The Prime Minister additionally mentioned he had raised the case of the UK-based activist the individual, from Dumbarton, who has been held in an Indian jail for nearly eight years without facing a full trial. It is often cited as one of the worst examples of unfair treatment among Britons still held overseas.

But, Starmer did not indicate much advancement had been made. "Indeed, we brought up the consular cases," he said. "We consistently address 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 raising it now."

Upcoming Initiatives

The prime minister is widely expected to take a comparable business-oriented trip to the People's Republic of China in the coming year as part of a effort to ease diplomatic ties between the United Kingdom and China.

This bilateral connection is under the spotlight because of the dismissal of a Chinese spying case, reportedly occurring because the British authorities has been unwilling to provide fresh evidence that China is deemed a threat.

The Prime Minister clarified the UK was eager to explore additional commercial partnerships but stated that a trade deal with China was not on the agenda. "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 government in relation to China."