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

Ceasefire Deal Hailed as a "Relief to the Globe"

Starmer commented that the first phase of the agreement would be a "welcome news globally" and highlighted that the UK had played its own role behind the scenes with the United States and negotiators.

Addressing the media on the final day of his business trip to the Indian subcontinent, the British leader stressed that the agreement "needs to be put into action in full, without postponement, and accompanied by the immediate lifting of all restrictions on critical humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Peace Prize Question Addressed

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

"The priority now is to move forward and implement this ... my attention 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 told reporters at a press conference in India's financial capital.

Business Deals Revealed During Trip to India

Starmer has hailed a number of deals finalized during his visit to India – his maiden visit there – accompanied by 126 business leaders 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 financial technology to higher education facilities, as well as the making of three Bollywood films in the United Kingdom.
• On Thursday, the Prime Minister finalized a defence deal worth £350 million for UK missiles, produced in Northern Ireland, to be used by the Indian military.

"The shared history is deep, the human connections between our citizens are exceptionally strong," Starmer remarked as he left Mumbai. "Building on our landmark agreement, we are reinventing this alliance for our times."

Digital Identification Initiative Examined

The Prime Minister has spent time in India studying the Indian digital ID system, including consulting principal architects who developed the widespread system utilized by over a billion individuals for social services, transactions, and identification.

He hinted that the United Kingdom was interested in broadening the application of digital ID beyond making it mandatory to prove rights to work. He indicated that the Britain would eventually look at connecting it to financial and payments systems – on a voluntary basis – as well as for official procedures such as mortgage and educational enrollments.

"It has been adopted on a voluntary basis [in India] in massive scale, partly because it means that you can access your own money, make payments so much more easily than is available with alternative methods," he explained.

"The efficiency with which it enables citizens here to utilize facilities, particularly banking options, is something that was acknowledged in our discussions yesterday, and actually a financial technology conversation that we had today. So we're looking at those examples of how digital identification assists individuals with processes that sometimes take excessive time and are overly complex and makes them easier for them."

Public Support for Reforms

Starmer admitted that the administration had to make the case for the initiatives to the UK citizens, which have declined sharply in public approval since he proposed them.

"I think now we need to go out and advocate for the huge benefits ... And I think that the more people see the positive outcomes that accompany this ... as has happened in other countries, citizens say: 'That will simplify my daily routine,' and therefore I want to get on with it," he affirmed.

Rights Issues and Global Affairs Addressed

Starmer said he had raised a range of challenging issues with the Indian leader regarding civil liberties and relations with the Russian Federation, though he seemed to have made minimal progress. Starmer acknowledged that he and Modi discussed how the country was persisting to purchase Russian oil, which is facing extensive international restrictions.

"For both Prime Minister Modi and me the priority on ending this situation and the multiple measures will be implemented to that purpose," he commented. "And that was a broad spectrum of dialogue, but we outlined the steps that we are taking in regarding energy."

The Prime Minister additionally mentioned he had raised the case of the UK-based activist Jagtar Singh Johal, from Scotland, who has been detained in an Indian prison for almost a decade without undergoing a full trial. It is frequently mentioned as one of the most egregious cases of injustice among UK nationals still held abroad.

But, he did not indicate much progress had been achieved. "Yes, we did raise the diplomatic matters," he stated. "We always raise them when we have the opportunity to do so. I must add that the foreign secretary is meeting the families in the near future, as well as raising it today."

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 effort to improve relations between the United Kingdom and China.

This bilateral connection is under the spotlight because of the collapse of a espionage investigation, said to have happened because the UK has been reluctant to provide new proof that the country is considered a threat.

The Prime Minister clarified the UK was eager to pursue 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 are able, challenge where we need to, and that's been the consistent policy of the administration in regarding China."