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The Prime Minister has declared 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 peace prize.

Truce Agreement Hailed as a "Welcome Development to the World"

The prime minister commented that the first phase of the deal would be a "welcome news globally" and highlighted that the UK had played its own role in private discussions with the United States and mediators.

Speaking on the final day of his trade visit to India, the British leader stressed that the agreement "must now be implemented in full, without postponement, and accompanied by the prompt removal of all restrictions on life-saving humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Nobel Prize Inquiry Answered

However, when asked if the Nobel prize committee should at this time grant Trump the coveted prize, the Prime Minister suggested that time was required to determine if a longer lasting peace could be achieved.

"What matters now is to move forward and execute this ... my focus now is moving this from the stage it's at now ... and make a success of this, because that is important to me above all," he stated at a media briefing in Mumbai.

Trade and Investment Revealed During Trip to India

Starmer has hailed a number of deals finalized during his visit to India – his maiden visit there – joined by over a hundred executives and cultural leaders. The trip marks the passing of the two nations' free trade agreement.

• No 10 has announced a slew of investments, from fintech to university campuses, as well as the making of three Bollywood films in the United Kingdom.
• On the final day, the Prime Minister signed a military agreement worth £350 million for UK missiles, produced in Northern Ireland, to be deployed by the Indian army.

"The shared history is deep, the human connections between our people are truly special," he said as he departed Mumbai. "Expanding upon our landmark agreement, we are reinventing this alliance for our era."

Digital Identification System Studied

Starmer has spent time in Mumbai analyzing the national digital identification program, including meeting principal architects who developed the widespread system utilized by more than 1 billion people for benefits, transactions, and identification.

The prime minister hinted that the UK was considering broadening the application of digital identification beyond making it mandatory to verify eligibility to work. He proposed that the Britain would eventually look at connecting it to financial and payments systems – on a voluntary basis – as well as for administrative tasks such as home loan and school applications.

"It's been taken up on a voluntary basis [in India] in massive scale, partly because it means that you can access your own money, conduct transactions so much more easily than is available with alternative methods," he explained.

"The speed with which it allows residents here to utilize facilities, especially banking options, is something that was recognized in our talks yesterday, and actually a Fintech discussion that we had as well. So we're examining those instances of how digital identification helps individuals with procedures that often take excessive time and are overly complex and makes them easier for them."

Public Support for Reforms

Starmer acknowledged that the administration had to build public support for the initiatives to the British public, which have declined sharply 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 accompany this ... as has occurred in other countries, citizens say: 'That will simplify my daily routine,' and therefore I want to proceed with it," he stated.

Human Rights and Global Affairs Discussed

Starmer confirmed he had raised a number of difficult topics with the Indian premier regarding human rights and relations with the Russian Federation, though he seemed to have made minimal progress. Starmer acknowledged that he and Modi talked about how the country was continuing 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 implemented 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 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 almost a decade without undergoing a complete legal process. It is often cited as one of the worst examples of unfair treatment among UK nationals still held abroad.

However, he did not suggest much progress had been made. "Indeed, we brought up the consular cases," he stated. "We consistently address them when we have the chance to do so. I should say that the foreign secretary is scheduled to meet the relatives in coming weeks, as well as raising it today."

Upcoming Initiatives

Starmer is largely anticipated to take a comparable trade-focused trip to 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 Chinese spying case, reportedly occurring because the British authorities has been reluctant to provide new proof that the country is deemed a threat.

The Prime Minister said the UK was eager to pursue additional commercial partnerships but stated that a trade deal with China was not currently planned. "That's not on our list, for a trade deal as such, but our stance is to work together where we can, confront where we need to, and that's been the ongoing approach of the administration in regarding China."