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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 stopped short of endorsing the American leader for a Nobel peace prize.

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

Starmer remarked that the first phase of the agreement would be a "relief to the world" and noted that the UK had played its own role in private discussions with the United States and mediators.

Addressing the media on the final day of his business trip to India, Starmer emphasized that the agreement "needs to be put into action in full, without delay, and accompanied by the immediate lifting of all restrictions on critical humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Nobel Prize Question Addressed

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

"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 matters to me above all," he told reporters at a media briefing 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 first time there – accompanied by 126 business leaders and cultural leaders. The trip signifies the passing of the countries' trade pact.

• No 10 has unveiled a slew of investments, from fintech to higher education facilities, as well as the making of multiple Indian movies in the United Kingdom.
• On the final day, the Prime Minister signed a military agreement worth £350m for British-made missiles, produced in the UK region, to be deployed by the Indian army.

"The shared history is profound, the human connections between our people are truly special," he remarked as he departed the city. "Expanding upon our landmark agreement, we are reinventing this partnership for our times."

Digital ID System Studied

The Prime Minister has dedicated time in Mumbai studying the Indian digital ID system, including consulting key figures who designed the comprehensive platform used by more than 1 billion people for benefits, transactions, and identification.

The prime minister suggested that the United Kingdom was interested in broadening the scope of digital ID beyond making it mandatory to verify eligibility to work. He indicated that the UK would in time look at linking it to financial and payments systems – on a optional basis – as well as for official procedures such as mortgage and school applications.

"It has been adopted on a voluntary basis [in India] in massive scale, not least because it means that you can retrieve your own money, make payments so much more easily than is possible with others," he explained.

"The efficiency with which it allows residents here to access services, especially banking options, is something that was recognized in our discussions recently, and in fact a Fintech discussion that we had today. So we're looking at those examples of how digital identification assists people with processes that often take too long and are overly complex and simplifies them for them."

Popular Backing for Reforms

The Prime Minister acknowledged that the administration had to make the case for the reforms to the UK citizens, which have declined sharply in popularity since he announced them.

"In my view now we need to go out and make that case the huge benefits ... And I think that the greater number of individuals see the positive outcomes that come with this ... as has happened in other countries, citizens say: 'That will simplify my daily routine,' and consequently I want to proceed with it," he affirmed.

Human Rights and Global Affairs Discussed

The Prime Minister confirmed he had raised a range of challenging issues with the Indian leader regarding human rights and ties with the Russian Federation, though he seemed to have made minimal progress. He confirmed that he and Prime Minister Modi discussed how the country was continuing 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 various steps will be taken to that purpose," he commented. "And that was a broad spectrum of dialogue, but we outlined the actions that we are undertaking in relation to energy."

Starmer additionally mentioned he had raised the situation of the UK-based activist the individual, from Scotland, who has been detained in an Indian prison for almost a decade without facing a full trial. It is frequently mentioned as one of the most egregious cases of injustice among Britons currently detained overseas.

But, he did not suggest much progress had been achieved. "Indeed, we did raise the diplomatic matters," he stated. "We consistently address them when we have the chance to do so. I must add that the top diplomat is scheduled to meet the relatives in coming weeks, as well as discussing it now."

Upcoming Initiatives

Starmer is widely expected to take a similar trade-focused trip to China in the coming year as part of a mission to improve relations between the UK and China.

That relationship is receiving attention because of the collapse of a espionage investigation, said to have happened because the UK has been reluctant to provide new proof that the country is deemed a security risk.

The Prime Minister clarified the UK was keen to explore additional commercial partnerships but stated that a commercial agreement with China was not on the agenda. "That's not on our list, for a bilateral pact as such, but our position is to work together where we can, confront where we need to, and this has been the consistent policy of the government in relation to China."