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Keir Starmer has declared that the Gaza ceasefire agreement "could not have happened without President Trump's leadership," but stopped short of endorsing the US president for a Nobel Prize.

Truce Agreement Welcomed as a "Relief to the Globe"

Starmer remarked that the initial stage of the deal would be a "welcome news globally" and highlighted that the United Kingdom had played its own role in private discussions with the US and negotiators.

Speaking on the last day of his trade visit to India, the British leader stressed that the agreement "needs to be put into action in full, without delay, and accompanied by the prompt removal of all restrictions on life-saving humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Peace Prize Inquiry Addressed

But, when asked if the Nobel prize committee should now grant Trump the prestigious award, the Prime Minister implied that time was needed to know if a longer lasting peace could be achieved.

"What matters now is to press on and implement this ... my focus now is moving this from the stage it's at now ... and ensure the success of this, because that is important to me above all," he stated at a press conference in Mumbai.

Business Deals Revealed During Trip to India

Starmer has hailed a series of agreements finalized during his visit to India – his maiden visit there – joined by over a hundred executives and arts figures. The trip signifies the implementation of the countries' free trade agreement.

• The UK government has announced a range of financial commitments, from fintech to higher education facilities, as well as the production of multiple Indian movies in the UK.
• On Thursday, the Prime Minister finalized a military agreement worth £350 million for UK missiles, manufactured in the UK region, to be used by the Indian army.

"The shared history is profound, the human connections between our citizens are truly special," Starmer said as he departed Mumbai. "Building on our landmark agreement, we are reinventing this partnership for our times."

Digital ID Initiative Examined

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

He hinted that the United Kingdom was considering broadening the scope of digital identification 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 home loan and school applications.

"It's been taken up on a optional basis [in India] in massive scale, not least because it ensures that you can retrieve your own money, conduct transactions so much more conveniently than is available with alternative methods," he noted.

"The efficiency with which it enables citizens here to access services, particularly financial services, is something that was recognized in our discussions yesterday, and actually a financial technology conversation that we had today. So we're looking at those instances of how digital identification helps individuals with processes that sometimes take too long and are overly complex and simplifies them for them."

Popular Backing for Changes

Starmer acknowledged 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 make that case the huge benefits ... And I think that the greater number of individuals 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 proceed with it," he affirmed.

Human Rights and International Relations Discussed

Starmer said he had raised a range of challenging issues with the Indian leader regarding civil liberties and ties with Russia, though he appeared to have made minimal progress. He confirmed that he and Modi discussed how India was continuing to buy oil from Russia, which is subject to extensive international restrictions.

"For both Prime Minister Modi and me the priority on ending this conflict and the various steps will be taken to that purpose," he commented. "And that was a wide range of discussion, but we outlined the actions that we are taking in relation to energy."

Starmer additionally mentioned he had raised the situation of the British Sikh activist the individual, from Scotland, who has been held in an Indian prison for nearly eight years without facing a full trial. It is frequently mentioned as one of the worst examples of injustice among Britons currently detained overseas.

But, he did not indicate much advancement had been achieved. "Yes, we brought up the diplomatic matters," he stated. "We consistently address 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 discussing it today."

Upcoming Initiatives

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 effort to ease relations between the United Kingdom and the Asian nation.

This bilateral connection is receiving attention because of the dismissal of a Chinese spying case, said to have happened because the British authorities has been unwilling to provide fresh evidence that the country is considered a threat.

The Prime Minister said the United Kingdom was keen to pursue other trading relationships but emphasized that a commercial agreement with the nation was not currently planned. "That's not on our list, for a trade deal as such, but our stance is to work together where we are able, confront where we must, and this has been the consistent policy of the government in relation to China."