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The Prime Minister has declared that the truce deal in Gaza "could not have happened without President Trump's leadership," but avoided supporting the US president for a Nobel Prize.

Truce Agreement Hailed as a "Relief to the World"

Starmer commented that the first phase of the agreement would be a "welcome news globally" and highlighted that the United Kingdom had played its own role in private discussions with the United States and negotiators.

Addressing the media on the last day of his trade visit to the Indian subcontinent, the British leader stressed that the agreement "needs to be put into action in full, without delay, and accompanied by the prompt removal of all restrictions on critical humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Peace Prize Question Answered

However, when asked if the Nobel prize committee should at this time grant Trump the prestigious award, the Prime Minister implied that time was required to determine if a durable peace could be achieved.

"The priority now is to press on and execute this ... my focus now is moving this from the stage it's at now ... and ensure the success of this, because that matters to me above all," he stated at a press conference in Mumbai.

Trade and Investment Revealed During Trip to India

Starmer has celebrated a number of deals finalized during his visit to the country – his first time there – accompanied by over a hundred executives and cultural leaders. The trip signifies the passing of the two nations' trade pact.

• No 10 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 the final day, the Prime Minister finalized a military agreement worth £350m for UK missiles, produced in the UK region, to be deployed by the Indian army.

"The shared history is deep, the human connections between our citizens are exceptionally strong," he remarked as he departed Mumbai. "Expanding upon our historic trade deal, we are reinventing this partnership for our era."

Digital ID Initiative Examined

The Prime Minister has dedicated time in Mumbai studying the national digital identification program, including meeting key figures who developed the widespread system used by more than 1 billion people for benefits, transactions, and verification.

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

"It's been taken up on a voluntary basis [in India] in massive scale, not least because it ensures that you can access your own funds, make payments so much more conveniently than is available with alternative methods," he noted.

"The speed with which it enables citizens here to utilize facilities, especially banking options, is something that was recognized in our talks yesterday, and in fact a financial technology discussion that we had today. So we're examining those examples of how digital ID assists people with processes that often take excessive time and are too cumbersome and makes them easier for them."

Popular Backing for Changes

Starmer admitted that the government had to make the case for the reforms to the British public, which have plummeted in popularity since he announced them.

"In my view now we need to go out and make that case the huge benefits ... And I think that the greater number of individuals see the positive outcomes that come with this ... as has occurred in different nations, citizens say: 'That will make my life easier,' and consequently I want to get on with it," he affirmed.

Human Rights and International Relations Addressed

The Prime Minister said he had raised a number of difficult topics with the Indian leader regarding human rights and relations with the Russian Federation, though he appeared to have made minimal progress. He confirmed that he and Modi discussed how India was persisting to purchase oil from Russia, which is facing extensive international restrictions.

"For both Prime Minister Modi and me the focus on resolving this situation and the multiple measures will be taken to that purpose," he said. "This included a wide range of discussion, but we outlined the actions that we are taking in regarding energy."

The Prime Minister also said he had brought up the case of the British Sikh activist the individual, from Dumbarton, who has been held in an Indian prison for nearly eight years without undergoing a full trial. It is often cited as one of the worst examples of unfair treatment among Britons still held overseas.

However, he did not suggest much advancement had been made. "Indeed, we brought up the consular cases," he said. "We always raise them when we have the opportunity to do so. I must add that the top diplomat is meeting the families in the near future, as well as raising it today."

Upcoming Initiatives

The prime minister is widely expected to take a similar business-oriented visit to the People's Republic of China in the coming year as part of a effort to improve diplomatic ties between the United Kingdom and the Asian nation.

That relationship is receiving attention because of the dismissal of a espionage investigation, reportedly occurring because the UK has been unwilling to provide fresh evidence that the country is considered a threat.

Starmer clarified the UK was keen to explore other trading relationships but stated that a trade deal with China was not on the agenda. "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."