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The Prime Minister has stated that the Gaza ceasefire agreement "would not have occurred without the leadership of Donald Trump," yet avoided endorsing the American leader for a Nobel peace prize.

Ceasefire Deal Hailed as a "Welcome Development to the Globe"

The prime minister commented that the first phase of the agreement 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 trade visit to India, the British leader emphasized that the agreement "must now be implemented in full, without postponement, and accompanied by the immediate lifting of all restrictions on life-saving humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Nobel Prize Question Addressed

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

"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 told reporters at a press conference in Mumbai.

Business Deals Announced During India Visit

Starmer has celebrated a number of deals finalized during his tour to the country – his maiden visit there – accompanied by over a hundred executives and cultural leaders. The visit signifies the passing of the countries' free trade agreement.

• No 10 has unveiled 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 Thursday, the Prime Minister finalized a defence deal worth £350m for British-made 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 said as he departed the city. "Expanding upon our historic trade deal, we are reinventing this partnership for our era."

Digital Identification Initiative Examined

The Prime Minister has dedicated time in India studying the national digital identification program, including meeting key figures who developed the comprehensive platform utilized by more than 1 billion people for benefits, payments, and identification.

The prime minister suggested that the UK was considering broadening the application of digital ID beyond making it compulsory to verify eligibility to work. He indicated that the UK would eventually look at linking it to banking and transaction networks – on a voluntary basis – as well as for official procedures such as mortgage and school applications.

"It has been adopted on a optional basis [in India] in massive scale, partly because it means that you can access your own funds, conduct transactions so much more easily than is available with others," he noted.

"The speed with which it allows citizens here to utilize facilities, particularly banking options, is something that was acknowledged in our talks yesterday, and actually a Fintech conversation that we had today. So we're examining those instances of how digital ID helps individuals with procedures that often take excessive time and are too cumbersome and makes them easier for them."

Public Support for Changes

The Prime Minister admitted that the government had to make the case for the reforms to the British public, which have plummeted in popularity since he announced them.

"In my view now we need to go out and advocate for the huge benefits ... And I think that the greater number of individuals see the positive outcomes that come with this ... as has happened in different nations, people say: 'That will make my life easier,' and consequently I want to proceed with it," he affirmed.

Human Rights and Global Affairs Discussed

The Prime Minister said he had raised a number of difficult topics with the Indian leader regarding civil liberties and ties with the Russian Federation, though he seemed to have made little headway. He confirmed that he and Prime Minister Modi talked about how the country was continuing to buy oil from Russia, which is facing extensive international restrictions.

"For prime minister Modi and myself the focus on resolving this conflict and the various steps will be taken to that purpose," he said. "And that was a wide range of discussion, but we did set out the steps that we are taking in relation to energy."

The Prime Minister also said he had raised the situation of the UK-based activist Jagtar Singh Johal, from Dumbarton, who has been held in an Indian prison for almost a decade without undergoing a complete legal process. It is often cited as one of the most egregious cases of injustice among UK nationals currently detained overseas.

But, he did not suggest much progress had been made. "Yes, we did raise the consular cases," he stated. "We always raise them when we have the opportunity to do so. I should say that the foreign secretary is scheduled to meet the relatives in coming weeks, as well as raising it now."

Upcoming Initiatives

Starmer is largely anticipated to take a comparable trade-focused trip to China in the coming year as part of a mission to improve relations between the United Kingdom and China.

This bilateral connection is receiving attention because of the collapse of a Chinese spying case, reportedly occurring because the British authorities has been reluctant to provide new proof that China is considered a threat.

Starmer said the UK was keen to explore other trading relationships but emphasized that a commercial agreement with China was not currently planned. "It is not a priority, for a bilateral pact as such, but our stance is to work together where we are able, confront where we need to, and that's been the consistent policy of the government in relation to China."