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The Prime Minister has declared that the Gaza ceasefire agreement "would not have occurred without the leadership of Donald Trump," but avoided supporting the American leader for a Nobel peace prize.

Ceasefire Deal Hailed as a "Welcome Development to the Globe"

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 US and negotiators.

Addressing the media on the last 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 immediate lifting of all limitations on critical humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Peace Prize Question Addressed

But, when questioned if the Nobel prize committee should now award Donald Trump the coveted prize, Starmer implied that time was needed to determine if a durable peace could be achieved.

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

Business Deals Revealed During Trip to India

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

• No 10 has announced a range of financial commitments, from fintech to higher education facilities, as well as the making of three Bollywood films in the United Kingdom.
• On Thursday, Starmer finalized a military agreement worth £350m for UK missiles, manufactured in Northern Ireland, to be used by the Indian army.

"Our history together is profound, the human connections between our citizens are exceptionally strong," he remarked 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 dedicated time in Mumbai analyzing the national digital identification program, including meeting principal architects who designed the comprehensive platform utilized by more than 1 billion people for social services, payments, and verification.

He hinted that the United Kingdom was considering 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 banking and payments systems – on a voluntary basis – as well as for official procedures such as home loan and school applications.

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

"The speed with which it enables residents here to access services, particularly financial services, is something that was acknowledged in our talks yesterday, and actually a Fintech discussion that we had as well. So we're examining those instances of how digital ID helps people with procedures that often take too long and are too cumbersome and simplifies them for them."

Public Support for Reforms

Starmer acknowledged that the government had to make the case for the initiatives to the UK citizens, which have plummeted in popularity 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 positive outcomes that come with this ... as has happened in other countries, people say: 'That will make my life easier,' and therefore I want to proceed with it," he affirmed.

Rights Issues and Global Affairs Addressed

Starmer said he had brought up a range of challenging issues with the Indian leader regarding human rights and relations with Russia, though he appeared to have made minimal progress. He acknowledged that he and Modi discussed how India was persisting to purchase Russian oil, which is subject to extensive international restrictions.

"For prime minister Modi and myself the priority on resolving this situation and the multiple measures will be taken to that purpose," he said. "And that was a wide range of dialogue, but we outlined the steps that we are taking in regarding energy."

The Prime Minister also said he had raised the situation of the British Sikh activist the individual, from Dumbarton, who has been held in an Indian prison for nearly eight years without undergoing a complete legal process. It is frequently mentioned as one of the worst examples of unfair treatment among UK nationals currently detained abroad.

However, he did not indicate much advancement had been made. "Yes, we did raise 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 discussing it now."

Upcoming Initiatives

The prime minister is widely expected to take a similar trade-focused trip 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 under the spotlight because of the collapse of a espionage investigation, reportedly occurring because the UK has been unwilling to provide fresh evidence that China is deemed a security risk.

The Prime Minister said the United Kingdom was eager to pursue other trading relationships but emphasized that a commercial agreement with China was not currently planned. "That's not on our list, for a trade deal as such, but our stance is to cooperate where we can, challenge where we need to, and that's been the ongoing approach of the government in regarding China."