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The Prime Minister has declared that the Gaza ceasefire agreement "could not have happened without President Trump's leadership," yet avoided supporting the American leader for a Nobel peace prize.

Truce Agreement Welcomed as a "Relief to the World"

The prime minister remarked that the first phase of the deal would be a "relief to the world" and noted that the UK had played its own role behind the scenes with the US and negotiators.

Addressing the media on the last day of his business trip to India, Starmer stressed that the agreement "must now be implemented in full, without postponement, and accompanied by the prompt removal of all restrictions on critical humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Peace Prize Question Addressed

But, when questioned if the Nobel prize committee should at this time grant Donald Trump the prestigious prize, the Prime Minister suggested that more time was required to determine if a longer lasting peace could be achieved.

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

Business Deals Revealed During Trip to India

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

• The UK government has announced a slew of investments, from financial technology to higher education facilities, as well as the making of three Bollywood films in the United Kingdom.
• On the final day, the Prime Minister signed a military agreement worth £350 million for British-made missiles, produced 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," he remarked as he left Mumbai. "Building on our historic trade deal, we are reinventing this alliance for our times."

Digital Identification System Studied

Starmer has dedicated time in India analyzing the national digital identification program, including consulting principal architects who designed the comprehensive platform used by more than 1 billion people for social services, transactions, and verification.

The prime minister hinted that the United Kingdom was interested in broadening the application of digital ID beyond making it compulsory to verify eligibility to work. He proposed that the UK would eventually look at connecting it to financial and payments systems – on a optional basis – as well as for official procedures such as mortgage and school applications.

"It's been taken up on a optional basis [in India] in huge numbers, not least because it means that you can access your own funds, make payments so much more conveniently than is available with others," he explained.

"The efficiency with which it enables citizens here to access services, especially banking options, is something that was recognized in our talks recently, and in fact a financial technology discussion that we had today. So we're looking at those instances of how digital identification assists people with processes that often take excessive time and are overly complex and makes them easier for them."

Public Support for Reforms

Starmer admitted that the government had to build public support for the reforms to the UK citizens, which have plummeted in public approval since Starmer proposed them.

"I think now we need to go out and advocate for the significant advantages ... And I think that the greater number of individuals see the benefits that accompany this ... as has happened in other countries, people say: 'That will make my life easier,' and therefore I want to proceed with it," he stated.

Rights Issues and Global Affairs Discussed

The Prime Minister confirmed he had brought up a number of difficult topics with the Indian premier regarding human rights and ties with the Russian Federation, though he seemed to have made little headway. Starmer acknowledged that he and Modi talked about how India was persisting to buy Russian oil, which is subject to extensive international restrictions.

"For prime minister Modi and myself the priority on resolving this conflict and the multiple measures will be implemented to that purpose," he commented. "And that was a broad spectrum of discussion, but we outlined the actions that we are taking in relation to energy."

The Prime Minister also mentioned he had raised the case of the British Sikh activist the individual, from Scotland, who has been detained in an Indian jail for almost a decade without undergoing a complete legal process. It is often cited as one of the most egregious cases of injustice among Britons currently detained abroad.

However, Starmer did not indicate much progress had been made. "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 the near future, as well as discussing it today."

Future Plans

Starmer is widely expected to take a similar business-oriented visit to the People's Republic of China in the coming year as part of a mission to ease diplomatic ties between the United Kingdom and China.

This bilateral connection is receiving attention because of the collapse of a espionage investigation, said to have happened because the UK has been reluctant to provide fresh evidence that China is deemed a security risk.

Starmer clarified the United Kingdom was eager to pursue other trading relationships but stated that a trade deal with the nation was not on the agenda. "That's not on our list, for a trade deal as such, but our position is to work together where we are able, challenge where we need to, and that's been the consistent policy of the government in relation to China."