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The Prime Minister has asserted that the Gaza ceasefire agreement "would not have occurred without President Trump's leadership," but avoided endorsing the American leader for a Nobel peace prize.

Truce Agreement Welcomed as a "Relief to the Globe"

Starmer commented that the initial stage of the deal would be a "relief to the world" and noted that the United Kingdom had played its own role in private discussions with the United States and negotiators.

Speaking on the last day of his trade visit to the Indian subcontinent, the British leader stressed that the agreement "must now be implemented in full, without postponement, and accompanied by the immediate lifting of all limitations on critical humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Nobel Prize Inquiry Addressed

But, when questioned if the Nobel prize committee should now grant Donald Trump the prestigious prize, the Prime Minister implied that more time was needed to know if a durable peace could be attained.

"The priority now is to move forward and execute this ... my focus now is moving this from the phase it's at now ... and ensure the success of this, because that is important to me more than anything else," he told reporters at a media briefing in Mumbai.

Trade and Investment Revealed During Trip to India

Starmer has celebrated a number of deals sealed during his visit to the country – his maiden visit there – joined by 126 business leaders and cultural leaders. The trip marks the passing of the countries' trade pact.

• No 10 has unveiled a range of financial commitments, from financial technology to higher education facilities, as well as the making of multiple Indian movies in the United Kingdom.
• On Thursday, Starmer 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 people are truly special," Starmer said as he departed Mumbai. "Building on our historic trade deal, we are reinventing this alliance for our era."

Digital ID Initiative Studied

The Prime Minister has spent time in Mumbai analyzing the Indian digital ID system, including consulting key figures who developed the widespread system used by more than 1 billion people for benefits, payments, and verification.

The prime minister suggested that the United Kingdom was considering expanding the application of digital ID beyond making it mandatory to prove rights to work. He proposed that the UK would eventually look at connecting 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 optional basis [in India] in massive scale, partly because it means that you can access your own funds, make payments so much more conveniently than is available with alternative methods," he noted.

"The efficiency with which it allows residents here to access services, especially financial services, is something that was acknowledged in our discussions yesterday, and actually a Fintech discussion that we had as well. So we're looking at those instances of how digital ID assists people with processes that often take excessive time and are too cumbersome and makes them easier for them."

Public Support for Changes

Starmer acknowledged that the administration had to build public support 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 advocate for the significant advantages ... And I believe that the more people see the positive outcomes that come with this ... as has happened in other countries, people say: 'That will make my life easier,' and consequently I want to get on with it," he stated.

Rights Issues and Global Affairs Discussed

The Prime Minister confirmed he had raised a range of challenging issues with the Indian leader regarding civil liberties and ties with Russia, though he appeared to have made little headway. Starmer acknowledged that he and Modi discussed how India was persisting to buy Russian oil, which is facing extensive international restrictions.

"For both Prime Minister Modi and me the priority on ending this situation and the various steps will be taken to that purpose," he commented. "And that was a wide range of dialogue, but we did set out the steps that we are undertaking in regarding energy."

Starmer additionally said he had raised the situation of the British Sikh activist the individual, from Dumbarton, who has been held in an Indian prison for almost a decade without undergoing a full trial. It is often cited as one of the most egregious cases of unfair treatment among UK nationals currently detained abroad.

But, he did not indicate much advancement had been made. "Yes, we brought up the consular cases," he said. "We always raise them when we have the opportunity to do so. I should say that the top diplomat is meeting the relatives in coming weeks, as well as raising it today."

Upcoming Initiatives

Starmer is widely expected to take a similar business-oriented trip to China in the coming year as part of a mission to improve diplomatic ties between the UK and the Asian nation.

That relationship is receiving attention because of the collapse of a espionage investigation, said to have happened because the British authorities has been reluctant to provide fresh evidence that the country is deemed a security risk.

Starmer said the United Kingdom was eager to explore other trading relationships but emphasized that a trade deal with the nation was not on the agenda. "That's not on our list, for a trade deal as such, but our position is to cooperate where we can, confront where we need to, and this has been the consistent policy of the administration in relation to China."