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The Prime Minister has stated that the Gaza ceasefire agreement "would not have occurred without President Trump's leadership," yet stopped short of endorsing the American leader for a Nobel Prize.

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

The prime minister remarked that the first phase of the deal would be a "relief to the world" and highlighted that the UK had contributed significantly behind the scenes with the United States and mediators.

Speaking on the final day of his business trip to the Indian subcontinent, Starmer stressed that the agreement "must now be implemented in full, without delay, and accompanied by the immediate lifting of all limitations on life-saving humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Peace Prize Question Answered

But, when asked if the Nobel committee should at this time award Trump the coveted award, the Prime Minister implied that time was needed to determine if a durable peace could be achieved.

"What matters now is to press on and implement this ... my attention now is moving this from the phase 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 India Visit

The Prime Minister has hailed a series of agreements sealed during his visit to the country – his maiden visit there – joined by 126 business leaders and arts figures. The visit marks the implementation of the two nations' free trade agreement.

• No 10 has unveiled a slew of investments, from financial technology to university campuses, as well as the making of multiple Indian movies in the UK.
• On Thursday, the Prime Minister signed a military agreement worth £350 million for British-made missiles, produced in Northern Ireland, to be used by the Indian army.

"Our history together is deep, the human connections between our citizens are exceptionally strong," Starmer said as he departed the city. "Building on our historic trade deal, we are reinventing this alliance for our era."

Digital Identification Initiative Examined

The Prime Minister has dedicated time in Mumbai studying the Indian digital ID system, including consulting principal architects who developed the widespread system utilized by over a billion individuals for social services, payments, and identification.

The prime minister suggested that the United Kingdom was interested in broadening the application of digital identification beyond making it compulsory to verify eligibility to work. He proposed that the UK would eventually look at connecting it to financial and payments systems – on a voluntary basis – as well as for administrative tasks such as mortgage and school applications.

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

"The efficiency with which it enables residents here to access services, particularly financial services, is something that was acknowledged in our talks yesterday, and in fact a financial technology conversation that we had today. So we're looking at those instances of how digital ID helps people with procedures that often take excessive time and are overly complex and simplifies them for them."

Popular Backing for Reforms

The Prime Minister admitted that the government had to make the case for the reforms to the UK citizens, which have declined sharply in public approval since Starmer announced them.

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

Rights Issues and International Relations Discussed

The Prime Minister confirmed 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 little headway. Starmer acknowledged that he and Prime Minister Modi talked about how the country was continuing to purchase Russian oil, which is subject to widespread western sanctions.

"For both Prime Minister Modi and me the priority on resolving this situation and the various steps will be implemented to that end," he said. "This included a broad spectrum of discussion, but we did set out the steps that we are taking in relation to energy."

Starmer additionally mentioned he had brought up the situation of the British Sikh activist Jagtar Singh Johal, from Dumbarton, who has been detained in an Indian jail for nearly eight years without undergoing a complete legal process. It is often cited as one of the worst examples of injustice among UK nationals currently detained abroad.

However, he did not indicate much progress had been achieved. "Yes, we did raise the diplomatic matters," he stated. "We always raise them when we have the opportunity to do so. I should say that the top diplomat is meeting the families in the near future, as well as discussing it today."

Upcoming Initiatives

Starmer is widely expected to take a comparable business-oriented visit to the People's Republic of China in the next 12 months as part of a mission to improve relations between the United Kingdom and China.

That relationship is under the spotlight because of the collapse of a espionage investigation, reportedly occurring because the UK has been unwilling to provide new proof that China is considered a threat.

The Prime Minister said the United Kingdom was keen 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 bilateral pact as such, but our position is to work together where we are able, confront where we need to, and this has been the ongoing approach of the government in regarding China."