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The Prime Minister has stated that the truce deal in Gaza "could not have happened without the leadership of Donald Trump," yet avoided endorsing the American leader for a Nobel Prize.

Truce Agreement Welcomed as a "Welcome Development to the Globe"

Starmer remarked that the initial stage of the deal would be a "welcome news globally" and highlighted that the UK had contributed significantly behind the scenes with the United States and negotiators.

Addressing the media on the last day of his trade visit to the Indian subcontinent, Starmer emphasized that the agreement "needs to be put into action in full, without delay, and paired with the prompt removal of all restrictions on life-saving humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Nobel Prize Question Addressed

However, when questioned if the Nobel committee should now award Donald Trump the coveted prize, Starmer suggested that more time was required to know if a longer lasting peace could be achieved.

"The priority now is to move forward and implement this ... my focus now is transitioning this from the stage it's at now ... and make a success of this, because that matters to me above all," he stated at a press conference in India's financial capital.

Trade and Investment Announced During India Visit

Starmer has celebrated a number of deals finalized during his tour to India – his first time there – joined by 126 business leaders and cultural leaders. The visit signifies the implementation of the two nations' trade pact.

• No 10 has announced a slew of investments, from financial technology to higher education facilities, as well as the making of three Bollywood films in the UK.
• On the final day, the Prime Minister signed a military agreement worth £350m for UK missiles, manufactured in the UK region, to be deployed by the Indian army.

"Our history together is profound, the human connections between our citizens are truly special," he remarked as he left the city. "Expanding upon our landmark agreement, we are reinventing this alliance for our era."

Digital ID System Examined

The Prime Minister has dedicated time in Mumbai studying the Indian digital ID system, including consulting principal architects who developed the comprehensive platform utilized by more than 1 billion people for social services, payments, and identification.

He hinted that the UK was interested in broadening the scope of digital ID beyond making it compulsory to verify eligibility to work. He proposed that the UK would eventually look at linking it to banking and transaction networks – on a voluntary basis – as well as for administrative tasks such as mortgage and educational enrollments.

"It has been adopted on a voluntary basis [in India] in huge numbers, not least because it ensures that you can retrieve your own money, make payments so much more easily than is available with alternative methods," he noted.

"The speed with which it enables residents here to utilize facilities, particularly financial services, is something that was recognized in our discussions yesterday, and actually a Fintech discussion that we had today. So we're examining those instances of how digital identification helps individuals with processes that sometimes take too long and are overly complex and makes them easier for them."

Popular Backing for Changes

Starmer admitted that the administration had to make the case for the reforms to the British public, which have plummeted in public approval since he proposed them.

"In my view 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 occurred in other countries, citizens say: 'That will simplify my daily routine,' and consequently I want to get on with it," he affirmed.

Rights Issues and International Relations Addressed

Starmer confirmed he had raised a number of difficult topics with the Indian leader regarding civil liberties and ties with Russia, though he seemed to have made minimal progress. He confirmed that he and Prime Minister Modi discussed how the country was continuing to buy Russian oil, which is facing extensive international restrictions.

"For prime minister Modi and myself the priority on ending this situation and the multiple measures will be taken to that end," he commented. "This included a wide range of dialogue, but we outlined the actions that we are undertaking in regarding energy."

Starmer also mentioned he had raised the case of the British Sikh activist Jagtar Singh Johal, from Dumbarton, 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 worst examples of injustice among Britons currently detained abroad.

However, Starmer did not suggest much advancement had been achieved. "Yes, we did raise the consular cases," he said. "We always raise them when we have the chance to do so. I must add that the top diplomat is scheduled to meet the relatives in the near future, as well as discussing it today."

Upcoming Initiatives

Starmer is widely expected to take a comparable trade-focused visit to the People's Republic of China in the coming year as part of a effort to ease relations between the UK and the Asian nation.

That relationship is receiving attention because of the collapse of a Chinese spying case, reportedly occurring because the British authorities has been unwilling to provide fresh evidence that China is deemed a threat.

Starmer clarified the United Kingdom was eager to explore other trading relationships but stated that a trade deal with the nation was not currently planned. "It is not a priority, for a bilateral pact as such, but our stance is to work together where we can, challenge where we need to, and that's been the consistent policy of the administration in regarding China."