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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 American leader for a Nobel Prize.

Truce Agreement Hailed as a "Relief to the Globe"

The prime minister remarked that the initial stage of the deal would be a "relief to the world" and noted that the United Kingdom had played its own role in private discussions with the United States and negotiators.

Addressing the media on the final day of his business trip to the Indian subcontinent, Starmer stressed that the deal "needs to be put into action in full, without delay, and paired with the immediate lifting of all limitations on life-saving humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Nobel Prize Inquiry Answered

However, when asked if the Nobel committee should at this time award Donald Trump the prestigious award, Starmer suggested that more time was needed to know if a durable peace could be attained.

"What matters now is to press on and execute this ... my attention now is transitioning this from the stage it's at now ... and ensure the success of this, because that is important to me above all," he told reporters at a media briefing in India's financial capital.

Business Deals Announced During Trip to India

The Prime Minister has hailed a series of agreements sealed during his tour to India – his maiden visit there – accompanied by 126 business leaders and arts figures. The visit marks the passing of the countries' free trade agreement.

• The UK government has announced a range of financial commitments, from fintech to university campuses, as well as the production of multiple Indian movies in the United Kingdom.
• On Thursday, Starmer signed a defence deal worth £350 million for British-made missiles, produced in the UK region, to be deployed by the Indian army.

"Our history together is deep, the human connections between our citizens are exceptionally strong," he remarked as he departed Mumbai. "Building on our historic trade deal, we are reinventing this partnership for our times."

Digital Identification System Studied

The Prime Minister has dedicated time in India studying the Indian digital ID system, including consulting key figures who designed the comprehensive platform used by over a billion individuals for benefits, transactions, and identification.

The prime minister hinted that the United Kingdom was interested in expanding the scope of digital ID beyond making it compulsory to verify eligibility to work. He indicated that the Britain would eventually look at linking it to financial and payments systems – on a voluntary basis – as well as for official procedures such as mortgage and educational enrollments.

"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 easily than is available with others," he explained.

"The speed with which it enables citizens here to access services, particularly banking options, is something that was acknowledged in our discussions recently, and actually a financial technology conversation that we had as well. So we're looking at those instances of how digital identification helps people with procedures that sometimes take too long and are overly complex and simplifies them for them."

Public Support for Changes

The Prime Minister acknowledged that the administration 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 think that the greater number of individuals see the positive outcomes that accompany this ... as has occurred in other countries, citizens 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 confirmed he had raised a range of challenging issues with the Indian premier regarding civil liberties and ties with Russia, though he appeared to have made little headway. He confirmed that he and Modi talked about how India was continuing to purchase oil from Russia, which is subject to widespread western sanctions.

"For prime minister Modi and myself the priority on ending this situation and the various steps will be taken to that purpose," he said. "And that was a wide range of discussion, but we did set out the steps that we are taking in regarding energy."

The Prime Minister also mentioned he had raised the case of the UK-based activist Jagtar Singh Johal, from Dumbarton, who has been detained 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 injustice among Britons still held abroad.

But, Starmer did not suggest much progress had been made. "Yes, we did raise the consular cases," he stated. "We consistently address them when we have the chance to do so. I must add that the top diplomat is meeting the relatives in coming weeks, as well as raising it today."

Upcoming Initiatives

The prime minister is widely expected to take a comparable trade-focused visit to China in the next 12 months as part of a effort to ease relations between the UK and the Asian nation.

That relationship is under the spotlight because of the collapse of a espionage investigation, reportedly occurring because the UK has been reluctant to provide new proof that China is considered a security risk.

Starmer said the United Kingdom was eager to explore additional commercial partnerships but stated that a commercial agreement with the nation was not currently planned. "It is not a priority, for a trade deal as such, but our position is to cooperate where we can, confront where we need to, and that's been the ongoing approach of the administration in relation to China."