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Keir Starmer has stated that the truce deal in Gaza "could not have happened without the leadership of Donald Trump," yet avoided supporting the US president for a Nobel peace prize.

Truce Agreement Hailed as a "Relief to the World"

Starmer remarked 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 United States and negotiators.

Addressing the media on the last day of his business trip to the Indian subcontinent, Starmer stressed that the agreement "needs to be put into action in full, without postponement, and accompanied by the immediate lifting of all limitations on life-saving humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Nobel Prize Inquiry Answered

But, when questioned if the Nobel prize committee should at this time grant Donald Trump the coveted prize, Starmer suggested that more time was needed to determine if a longer lasting peace could be achieved.

"What matters now is to move forward and implement this ... my focus now is moving this from the phase it's at now ... and ensure the success of this, because that matters to me above all," he stated at a press conference in Mumbai.

Trade and Investment Announced During Trip to India

The Prime Minister has celebrated a series of agreements sealed during his visit to India – his first time there – joined by over a hundred executives and arts figures. The trip signifies the passing of the two nations' trade pact.

• No 10 has unveiled a slew of investments, from fintech to university campuses, as well as the making of three Bollywood films in the UK.
• On the final day, Starmer finalized a defence deal worth £350 million for UK missiles, produced in the UK region, to be deployed by the Indian military.

"The shared history is deep, the personal ties between our citizens are truly special," he remarked as he departed the city. "Expanding upon our historic trade deal, we are reinventing this alliance for our era."

Digital Identification Initiative Studied

The Prime Minister has dedicated time in India analyzing the Indian digital ID system, including consulting principal architects who developed the comprehensive platform used by over a billion individuals for social services, payments, and verification.

The prime minister hinted that the UK was interested in expanding the scope of digital ID beyond making it mandatory to prove rights to work. He indicated that the UK would in time look at connecting it to financial and transaction networks – on a optional basis – as well as for official procedures such as home loan and educational enrollments.

"It's been taken up on a voluntary basis [in India] in huge numbers, not least because it ensures that you can retrieve your own money, make payments so much more easily than is available with alternative methods," he noted.

"The speed with which it enables residents here to access services, particularly financial services, is something that was acknowledged in our discussions recently, and in fact a Fintech discussion that we had as well. So we're looking at those examples of how digital identification assists individuals with procedures that often take too long and are too cumbersome and simplifies them for them."

Popular Backing for Changes

The Prime Minister acknowledged that the administration had to make the case for the reforms to the British public, which have plummeted in public approval since Starmer announced them.

"In my view now we need to go out and advocate for the significant advantages ... And I think that the greater number of individuals see the benefits that accompany this ... as has occurred in other countries, citizens say: 'That will simplify my daily routine,' and consequently I want to get on with it," he stated.

Human Rights and Global Affairs Discussed

Starmer said he had brought up a number of difficult topics with the Indian premier regarding human rights and ties with the Russian Federation, though he appeared to have made minimal progress. Starmer acknowledged that he and Modi talked about how India was persisting to buy oil from Russia, 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 end," he commented. "This included a broad spectrum of discussion, but we outlined the actions that we are taking in relation to energy."

The Prime Minister also said he had brought up the case of the British Sikh activist Jagtar Singh Johal, from Dumbarton, who has been held in an Indian jail for almost a decade without facing a full trial. It is often cited as one of the worst examples of injustice among Britons currently detained abroad.

But, Starmer did not suggest much progress had been achieved. "Yes, we did raise the consular cases," he stated. "We always raise them when we have the chance to do so. I should say that the foreign secretary is meeting the relatives in coming weeks, as well as discussing it today."

Upcoming Initiatives

Starmer is largely anticipated to take a comparable trade-focused trip to the People's Republic of China in the next 12 months as part of a mission to ease diplomatic ties between the UK 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 unwilling to provide new proof that the country is deemed a security risk.

Starmer said the UK was keen to explore other trading relationships but emphasized 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 stance is to cooperate where we are able, challenge where we must, and this has been the consistent policy of the administration in relation to China."