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The Prime Minister has asserted that the Gaza ceasefire agreement "would not have occurred without the leadership of Donald Trump," yet stopped short of endorsing the American leader for a Nobel peace prize.

Ceasefire Deal Welcomed as a "Relief to the Globe"

The prime minister commented that the initial stage of the agreement would be a "relief to the world" and noted that the United Kingdom had played its own role behind the scenes with the US and negotiators.

Speaking on the last day of his trade visit to the Indian subcontinent, Starmer emphasized that the deal "needs to be put into action in full, without postponement, and paired with the prompt removal of all restrictions on critical humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Nobel Prize Question Addressed

However, when asked if the Nobel committee should now award Donald Trump the prestigious prize, the Prime Minister implied that more time was needed to determine if a durable peace could be achieved.

"What matters now is to move forward and implement this ... my attention 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 told reporters at a press conference in Mumbai.

Business Deals Announced During Trip to India

Starmer has celebrated a series of agreements finalized during his visit to the country – his maiden visit there – accompanied by 126 business leaders and cultural leaders. The visit signifies the passing of the countries' free trade agreement.

• The UK government has unveiled 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, Starmer finalized a military agreement worth £350 million for UK missiles, manufactured in Northern Ireland, to be deployed by the Indian military.

"The shared history is profound, the personal ties between our citizens are exceptionally strong," he remarked as he departed the city. "Expanding upon our historic trade deal, we are remaking this alliance for our times."

Digital ID System Examined

Starmer has dedicated time in Mumbai analyzing the national digital identification program, including consulting key figures who developed the comprehensive platform utilized by more than 1 billion people for social services, transactions, and verification.

He hinted that the UK was considering broadening the application of digital identification beyond making it compulsory to verify eligibility to work. He proposed that the UK would eventually look at linking it to financial and payments systems – on a optional basis – as well as for administrative tasks such as mortgage and educational enrollments.

"It's been taken up on a voluntary basis [in India] in massive scale, partly because it means that you can retrieve your own money, conduct transactions so much more conveniently than is possible with others," he noted.

"The speed with which it allows citizens here to utilize facilities, especially financial services, is something that was acknowledged in our talks recently, and actually a Fintech discussion that we had today. So we're examining those instances of how digital identification assists people with processes that sometimes take excessive time and are too cumbersome and simplifies them for them."

Popular Backing for Changes

Starmer admitted that the administration had to build public support for the initiatives to the British public, which have plummeted in popularity since he proposed them.

"I think now we need to go out and advocate for the huge benefits ... And I believe that the greater number of individuals see the benefits that accompany this ... as has happened in different nations, people say: 'That will make my life easier,' and consequently I want to get on with it," he affirmed.

Rights Issues and Global Affairs Discussed

Starmer said he had raised a number of difficult topics with the Indian leader regarding civil liberties and ties with Russia, though he appeared to have made minimal progress. He acknowledged that he and Modi discussed how the country was persisting to buy oil from Russia, which is facing widespread western sanctions.

"For prime minister Modi and myself the priority on ending this conflict and the multiple measures will be taken to that purpose," he commented. "This included a wide range of dialogue, but we outlined the actions that we are undertaking in regarding energy."

The Prime Minister also said he had brought up the case of the UK-based activist the individual, from Scotland, who has been held in an Indian jail for nearly eight years without facing a full trial. It is often cited as one of the worst examples of unfair treatment among UK nationals currently detained overseas.

But, he did not suggest much progress had been made. "Yes, we did raise the diplomatic matters," he said. "We consistently address them when we have the opportunity to do so. I should say that the foreign secretary is scheduled to meet 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 next 12 months as part of a effort to improve diplomatic ties between the United Kingdom and the Asian nation.

This bilateral connection is receiving attention because of the dismissal of a Chinese spying case, said to have happened because the British authorities has been reluctant to provide fresh evidence that China is deemed a security risk.

The Prime Minister said the United Kingdom was eager 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 cooperate where we are able, challenge where we must, and this has been the consistent policy of the administration in regarding China."