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Keir Starmer has asserted that the Gaza ceasefire agreement "could not have happened without President Trump's leadership," yet stopped short of endorsing the US president for a Nobel peace 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 noted that the UK had contributed significantly in private discussions with the United States and negotiators.

Speaking on the last day of his trade visit to the Indian subcontinent, the British leader stressed that the deal "must now be implemented in full, without delay, and paired with the immediate lifting of all limitations on life-saving humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Peace Prize Question Answered

However, when questioned if the Nobel prize committee should at this time award Donald Trump the coveted award, Starmer implied that more time was needed to know if a durable peace could be achieved.

"What matters now is to move forward and implement this ... my attention now is moving this from the stage it's at now ... and make a success of this, because that matters to me more than anything else," he told reporters at a media briefing in Mumbai.

Business Deals Announced During Trip to India

Starmer has hailed a number of deals finalized during his tour to the country – his first time there – joined by 126 business leaders and arts figures. The trip signifies the implementation of the two nations' free trade agreement.

• No 10 has unveiled a range of financial commitments, from financial technology to higher education facilities, as well as the production of three Bollywood films in the United Kingdom.
• On Thursday, the Prime Minister signed a defence deal worth £350m for British-made missiles, produced in the UK region, to be used by the Indian army.

"The shared history is profound, the personal ties between our people are exceptionally strong," he remarked as he left Mumbai. "Building on our landmark agreement, we are remaking this partnership for our times."

Digital Identification Initiative Examined

The Prime Minister has spent time in Mumbai analyzing the national digital identification program, including meeting principal architects who developed the widespread system utilized by over a billion individuals for social services, payments, and identification.

The prime minister hinted that the United Kingdom was considering expanding the application of digital identification beyond making it mandatory to verify eligibility to work. He proposed that the Britain would eventually look at linking it to financial and transaction networks – on a optional basis – as well as for administrative tasks such as home loan and educational enrollments.

"It's been taken up on a voluntary basis [in India] in massive scale, not least because it means that you can retrieve your own money, make payments so much more conveniently than is possible with alternative methods," he explained.

"The efficiency with which it allows citizens here to access services, especially banking options, is something that was acknowledged in our talks recently, and actually a Fintech conversation that we had today. So we're looking at those instances of how digital ID assists people with procedures that sometimes take too long and are overly complex and makes them easier for them."

Popular Backing for Reforms

Starmer acknowledged that the government had to build public support for the initiatives to the UK citizens, which have plummeted in popularity since he announced them.

"I think now we need to go out and advocate for the huge benefits ... And I believe that the more people see the benefits that come with this ... as has happened in other countries, people say: 'That will simplify my daily routine,' and consequently I want to proceed with it," he stated.

Rights Issues and International Relations Discussed

The Prime Minister said he had brought up a range of challenging issues with the Indian premier regarding human rights and ties with the Russian Federation, though he appeared to have made little headway. Starmer acknowledged that he and Modi discussed how the country was persisting to purchase oil from Russia, which is facing extensive international restrictions.

"For prime minister Modi and myself the focus on resolving this conflict and the multiple measures will be taken to that end," he said. "And that was a wide range of dialogue, but we outlined the actions that we are undertaking in relation to energy."

The Prime Minister also said he had raised the situation of the British Sikh activist the individual, from Scotland, who has been detained in an Indian jail for almost a decade without facing a full trial. It is frequently mentioned as one of the most egregious cases of unfair treatment among Britons currently detained abroad.

But, Starmer did not suggest much advancement had been achieved. "Indeed, we brought up 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 scheduled to meet the relatives in the near future, as well as raising it today."

Future Plans

Starmer is widely expected to take a comparable business-oriented visit 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 Chinese spying case, reportedly occurring because the British authorities has been reluctant to provide fresh evidence that the country is considered a security risk.

Starmer said the UK was eager to pursue additional commercial partnerships but stated that a trade deal with China was not currently planned. "It is not a priority, for a trade deal as such, but our position is to cooperate where we are able, confront where we need to, and this has been the ongoing approach of the administration in relation to China."