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Keir Starmer has stated that the Gaza ceasefire agreement "could not have happened without the leadership of Donald Trump," but avoided endorsing the US president for a Nobel Prize.

Truce Agreement Hailed as a "Welcome Development to the World"

The prime minister remarked that the first phase of the deal would be a "welcome news globally" and highlighted that the UK had played its own role behind the scenes with the US and mediators.

Speaking on the final 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 immediate lifting of all restrictions on critical humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Nobel Prize Inquiry Addressed

However, when questioned if the Nobel committee should at this time award Donald Trump the prestigious prize, the Prime Minister implied that time was required to know if a durable peace could be attained.

"The priority now is to move forward and execute this ... my attention now is transitioning this from the phase it's at now ... and make a success of this, because that matters to me more than anything else," he told reporters at a press conference in Mumbai.

Trade and Investment Announced During Trip to India

The Prime Minister has hailed a series of agreements sealed during his tour to the country – his maiden visit there – accompanied by over a hundred executives and cultural leaders. The visit signifies the implementation of the countries' trade pact.

• No 10 has unveiled a slew of investments, from fintech to higher education facilities, as well as the making of multiple Indian movies in the United Kingdom.
• On the final day, Starmer finalized a military agreement worth £350 million for UK missiles, manufactured in the UK region, to be used by the Indian military.

"The shared history is profound, the human connections between our citizens are exceptionally strong," he said as he left Mumbai. "Building on our historic trade deal, we are remaking this partnership for our era."

Digital ID System Examined

The Prime Minister has spent time in India studying the Indian digital ID system, including meeting key figures who developed the comprehensive platform used by over a billion individuals for social services, transactions, and verification.

He suggested that the United Kingdom was interested in broadening the application of digital ID beyond making it compulsory to prove rights to work. He indicated that the UK would eventually look at linking it to financial 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 voluntary basis [in India] in huge numbers, partly because it ensures that you can retrieve your own funds, make payments so much more easily than is available with others," he noted.

"The speed with which it enables residents here to access services, especially financial services, is something that was acknowledged in our discussions yesterday, and in fact a financial technology conversation that we had as well. So we're examining those instances of how digital identification assists people with processes that sometimes take too long and are overly complex and makes them easier for them."

Public Support for Reforms

Starmer acknowledged that the administration had to build public support for the initiatives to the British public, which have declined sharply in popularity since he proposed them.

"In my view now we need to go out and make that case the significant advantages ... And I believe that the greater number of individuals see the positive outcomes that accompany this ... as has happened in other countries, people say: 'That will simplify my daily routine,' and therefore I want to get on with it," he stated.

Rights Issues and International Relations Discussed

The Prime Minister said he had raised a range of challenging issues with the Indian premier regarding human rights and ties with Russia, though he appeared to have made minimal progress. Starmer confirmed that he and Modi talked about how India was persisting to purchase oil from Russia, which is facing widespread western sanctions.

"For prime minister Modi and myself the priority on resolving this conflict and the various steps will be implemented to that end," he commented. "This included a broad spectrum of discussion, but we did set out the steps that we are undertaking in regarding energy."

The Prime Minister also mentioned he had raised the case of the British Sikh activist Jagtar Singh Johal, from Scotland, who has been held in an Indian prison for nearly eight years without facing a full trial. It is often cited as one of the most egregious cases of unfair treatment among UK nationals currently detained abroad.

But, he did not suggest much advancement had been achieved. "Indeed, we did raise the consular cases," he stated. "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 coming weeks, as well as raising it now."

Future Plans

Starmer is largely anticipated to take a similar business-oriented visit to the People's Republic of China in the next 12 months as part of a effort to ease diplomatic ties between the United Kingdom and China.

This bilateral connection is under the spotlight because of the dismissal of a Chinese spying case, said to have happened because the British authorities has been reluctant to provide new proof that China is considered a threat.

The Prime Minister clarified the United Kingdom was keen to explore other trading relationships but emphasized that a trade deal 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 are able, challenge where we must, and that's been the consistent policy of the administration in regarding China."