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Keir Starmer has stated that the Gaza ceasefire agreement "could not have happened without President Trump's leadership," but stopped short of supporting the American leader for a Nobel peace prize.

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

The prime minister commented that the initial stage of the agreement would be a "welcome news globally" and highlighted that the UK had contributed significantly behind the scenes with the US and negotiators.

Speaking on the final day of his business trip to the Indian subcontinent, Starmer stressed that the agreement "must now be implemented in full, without delay, and paired with the immediate lifting of all restrictions on life-saving humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Peace Prize Question Answered

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

"The priority now is to move forward and implement this ... my focus now is moving 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 Mumbai.

Trade and Investment Revealed During Trip to India

The Prime Minister has hailed a series of agreements sealed during his tour to India – his maiden visit there – joined by 126 business leaders and cultural leaders. The visit signifies the passing of the two nations' trade pact.

• No 10 has announced a slew of investments, from fintech to university campuses, as well as the production of multiple Indian movies in the United Kingdom.
• On Thursday, Starmer signed a military agreement worth £350 million for British-made missiles, produced in the UK region, to be deployed by the Indian military.

"Our history together is profound, the personal ties between our citizens are exceptionally strong," Starmer remarked as he departed the city. "Expanding upon our landmark agreement, we are reinventing this partnership for our times."

Digital ID System Studied

Starmer has dedicated time in India studying the national digital identification program, including consulting key figures who developed the comprehensive platform utilized by over a billion individuals for benefits, payments, and verification.

The prime minister hinted that the UK was considering expanding the scope of digital ID beyond making it compulsory to prove rights to work. He indicated that the Britain would in time look at connecting it to financial and transaction networks – on a voluntary basis – as well as for official procedures such as home loan and educational enrollments.

"It's been taken up on a optional basis [in India] in huge numbers, partly because it ensures that you can retrieve your own money, make payments so much more easily than is possible with others," he noted.

"The speed with which it allows citizens here to access services, particularly financial services, is something that was recognized in our discussions recently, and in fact a Fintech conversation that we had as well. So we're examining those instances of how digital ID helps individuals with procedures that sometimes take excessive time and are overly complex and simplifies them for them."

Popular Backing for Reforms

The Prime Minister admitted that the administration had to build public support for the initiatives to the UK citizens, which have declined sharply in popularity since Starmer announced them.

"In my view now we need to go out and make that case the significant advantages ... And I think that the more people see the positive outcomes that accompany this ... as has happened in different nations, people say: 'That will make my life easier,' and consequently I want to get on with it," he stated.

Human Rights and International Relations Addressed

The Prime Minister confirmed he had brought up a number of difficult topics with the Indian leader regarding human rights and relations with Russia, though he appeared to have made little headway. Starmer confirmed that he and Modi discussed how the country was continuing to buy oil from Russia, which is subject to widespread western sanctions.

"For both Prime Minister Modi and me the priority on ending this conflict and the various steps will be implemented to that purpose," he said. "This included a broad spectrum of dialogue, but we did set out the actions that we are undertaking in relation to energy."

The Prime Minister additionally mentioned he had brought up the situation of the British Sikh activist the individual, from Scotland, who has been detained in an Indian jail for almost a decade without undergoing a full trial. It is frequently mentioned as one of the most egregious cases of injustice among Britons still held abroad.

However, he did not suggest much progress had been achieved. "Indeed, we did raise 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 families in coming weeks, as well as discussing it now."

Future Plans

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 improve relations between the United Kingdom and the Asian nation.

This bilateral connection is under the spotlight because of the dismissal of a Chinese spying case, reportedly occurring because the British authorities has been unwilling to provide fresh evidence that China is deemed a threat.

The Prime Minister clarified the UK was eager to explore other trading relationships but emphasized that a commercial agreement with the nation was not on the agenda. "It is not a priority, for a trade deal as such, but our position is to cooperate where we can, challenge where we need to, and this has been the ongoing approach of the administration in relation to China."