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The Prime Minister has stated that the Gaza ceasefire agreement "would not have occurred without President Trump's leadership," but stopped short of supporting the American leader for a Nobel peace prize.

Ceasefire Deal Welcomed as a "Welcome Development to the World"

The prime minister commented that the first phase of the agreement would be a "welcome news globally" and highlighted that the UK had contributed significantly in private discussions with the United States and mediators.

Speaking on the last day of his business trip to India, Starmer stressed that the deal "needs to be put into action in full, without delay, and paired with the immediate lifting of all restrictions on critical humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Peace Prize Inquiry Answered

However, when asked if the Nobel prize committee should at this time award Trump the prestigious award, Starmer implied that more time was needed to determine if a longer lasting peace could be achieved.

"The priority now is to press on and implement this ... my attention now is transitioning this from the stage it's at now ... and ensure the success of this, because that matters to me more than anything else," he told reporters at a press conference in India's financial capital.

Business Deals Announced During Trip to India

The Prime Minister has hailed a series of agreements sealed during his visit to the country – his first time there – accompanied by over a hundred executives and cultural leaders. The visit marks the passing of the countries' free trade agreement.

• No 10 has announced a slew of investments, from financial technology to university campuses, as well as the production of multiple Indian movies in the UK.
• On Thursday, the Prime Minister signed a military agreement worth £350 million for British-made missiles, produced in the UK region, to be deployed by the Indian military.

"Our history together is deep, the human connections between our people are truly special," he said as he left Mumbai. "Building on our landmark agreement, we are reinventing this alliance for our times."

Digital ID Initiative Examined

Starmer has spent time in India analyzing 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.

He hinted that the UK was interested in broadening the application of digital ID beyond making it compulsory to verify eligibility to work. He proposed that the Britain would in time look at connecting it to financial and transaction networks – on a voluntary basis – as well as for official procedures such as home loan and educational enrollments.

"It's been taken up on a optional 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 explained.

"The efficiency with which it allows citizens here to utilize facilities, especially banking options, is something that was recognized in our talks recently, and actually a Fintech discussion that we had today. So we're looking at those examples of how digital identification helps people with procedures that often take excessive time and are too cumbersome and makes them easier for them."

Public Support for Reforms

The Prime Minister acknowledged that the administration had to build public support for the initiatives 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 believe that the greater number of individuals see the benefits that accompany this ... as has occurred in different nations, citizens say: 'That will make my life easier,' and therefore 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 premier 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 Russian oil, which is subject to widespread western sanctions.

"For prime minister Modi and myself the priority on resolving this conflict and the multiple measures will be taken to that purpose," he said. "This included a broad spectrum of dialogue, but we did set out the actions that we are undertaking in relation to energy."

The Prime Minister also mentioned he had raised the case of the British Sikh activist the individual, from Scotland, who has been detained in an Indian jail for nearly eight years without undergoing a complete legal process. It is frequently mentioned as one of the most egregious cases of injustice among UK nationals still held overseas.

However, he did not indicate much advancement had been achieved. "Indeed, we did raise the diplomatic matters," he said. "We always raise them when we have the chance to do so. I must add that the foreign secretary is meeting the families in the near future, as well as raising it now."

Upcoming Initiatives

The prime minister is widely expected to take a similar trade-focused trip to China in the next 12 months as part of a mission to ease relations between the UK and China.

This bilateral connection is receiving attention because of the dismissal of a espionage investigation, said to have happened because the British authorities has been unwilling to provide fresh evidence that the country is deemed a threat.

Starmer said the United Kingdom was eager to pursue other trading relationships but stated that a trade deal with the nation was not currently planned. "That's not on our list, for a bilateral pact as such, but our position is to work together where we can, challenge where we must, and this has been the consistent policy of the administration in regarding China."