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

Ceasefire Deal Welcomed as a "Welcome Development to the World"

Starmer remarked that the initial stage of the agreement would be a "relief to the world" and noted that the UK had played its own role behind the scenes with the United States and mediators.

Speaking on the final day of his business trip to the Indian subcontinent, 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 critical humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Peace Prize Inquiry Addressed

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

"What matters now is to press on and implement this ... my attention 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 told reporters at a media briefing in India's financial capital.

Business Deals Announced During India Visit

Starmer has celebrated a number of deals sealed during his tour to India – his first time there – accompanied by over a hundred executives and cultural leaders. The visit signifies the implementation of the countries' trade pact.

• 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 UK.
• On the final day, the Prime Minister signed a military agreement worth £350 million for British-made missiles, manufactured in Northern Ireland, to be used by the Indian army.

"The shared history is deep, the human connections between our people are exceptionally strong," he said as he departed Mumbai. "Expanding upon our landmark agreement, we are reinventing this alliance for our era."

Digital ID System Examined

The Prime Minister has spent time in India analyzing the Indian digital ID system, including meeting principal architects who developed the comprehensive platform utilized by over a billion individuals for social services, transactions, and identification.

He hinted that the United Kingdom was interested in expanding the application of digital ID 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 optional basis – as well as for official procedures such as home loan and school applications.

"It's been taken up on a optional basis [in India] in huge numbers, partly because it means that you can retrieve your own funds, conduct transactions so much more easily than is available with others," he explained.

"The efficiency with which it allows citizens here to utilize facilities, particularly banking options, is something that was recognized in our discussions yesterday, and in fact a Fintech discussion that we had today. So we're examining those examples of how digital identification helps people with procedures that sometimes take excessive time and are overly complex and simplifies them for them."

Public Support for Reforms

Starmer admitted that the government had to make the case for the initiatives to the UK citizens, which have declined sharply in popularity since Starmer proposed them.

"I think now we need to go out and advocate for the significant advantages ... And I believe that the greater number of individuals see the positive outcomes that come with this ... as has occurred in other countries, people say: 'That will make my life easier,' and consequently I want to get on with it," he stated.

Human Rights and Global Affairs Addressed

The Prime Minister confirmed he had brought up a range of challenging issues with the Indian premier regarding human rights and ties with Russia, though he seemed to have made minimal progress. He confirmed that he and Modi discussed 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 resolving this conflict and the multiple measures will be implemented to that purpose," he said. "This included a broad spectrum of discussion, but we outlined the steps that we are taking in regarding energy."

The Prime Minister also said 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 facing a complete legal process. It is frequently mentioned as one of the worst examples of injustice 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 opportunity to do so. I must add that the foreign secretary is scheduled to meet the relatives in coming weeks, as well as discussing it today."

Upcoming Initiatives

Starmer is largely anticipated to take a comparable trade-focused 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.

That relationship is under the spotlight because of the collapse of a espionage investigation, reportedly occurring because the British authorities has been unwilling to provide new proof that the country is deemed a threat.

Starmer clarified the UK was keen to explore additional commercial partnerships but stated that a commercial agreement with China was not currently planned. "That's not on our list, for a bilateral pact as such, but our stance is to cooperate where we are able, confront where we must, and this has been the consistent policy of the government in relation to China."