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Keir Starmer has stated that the Gaza ceasefire agreement "would not have occurred without the leadership of Donald Trump," yet avoided endorsing the US president for a Nobel Prize.

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

Starmer remarked that the initial stage 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 mediators.

Speaking on the last day of his trade visit to the Indian subcontinent, the British leader stressed that the agreement "needs to be put into action in full, without postponement, and paired with the prompt removal of all limitations on life-saving humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Nobel Prize Question Addressed

But, when asked if the Nobel prize committee should at this time award Donald Trump the coveted award, Starmer implied that more time was required to know if a longer lasting peace could be attained.

"The priority now is to move forward and execute this ... my attention now is transitioning 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 media briefing in Mumbai.

Business Deals Announced During Trip to India

Starmer has hailed a series of agreements sealed during his visit to India – his first time there – joined by 126 business leaders and cultural leaders. The trip marks the implementation of the two nations' trade pact.

• The UK government has unveiled a slew of investments, from financial technology to university campuses, as well as the making of multiple Indian movies in the United Kingdom.
• On the final day, Starmer signed a military agreement worth £350m for UK missiles, produced in Northern Ireland, to be used by the Indian military.

"Our history together is deep, the human connections between our citizens are truly special," Starmer remarked as he left Mumbai. "Building on our historic trade deal, we are remaking this alliance for our times."

Digital Identification System Studied

The Prime Minister has dedicated time in India analyzing the Indian digital ID system, including meeting key figures who developed the widespread system utilized by more than 1 billion people for social services, transactions, and identification.

The prime minister hinted that the United Kingdom was interested in broadening the scope of digital ID beyond making it compulsory to prove rights to work. He proposed that the UK would eventually look at linking it to banking and payments systems – on a optional basis – as well as for administrative tasks such as mortgage and school applications.

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

"The efficiency with which it enables citizens here to utilize facilities, especially banking options, is something that was acknowledged in our discussions yesterday, and actually a Fintech discussion that we had today. So we're looking at those examples of how digital ID helps people with procedures that sometimes take excessive time and are too cumbersome and simplifies them for them."

Popular Backing for Reforms

Starmer acknowledged that the government had to build public support for the reforms to the UK citizens, which have declined sharply in public approval since he announced them.

"In my view now we need to go out and advocate for the huge benefits ... And I believe that the greater number of individuals see the positive outcomes that accompany this ... as has happened in different nations, people 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 raised a range of challenging issues with the Indian leader regarding human rights and ties with Russia, though he appeared to have made minimal progress. Starmer acknowledged that he and Modi talked about how India was persisting to purchase oil from Russia, which is facing widespread western sanctions.

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

The Prime Minister also mentioned he had brought up the situation of the UK-based activist Jagtar Singh Johal, from Scotland, who has been held 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 UK nationals currently detained overseas.

However, Starmer did not indicate much advancement had been made. "Yes, we did raise the consular cases," 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 relatives in coming weeks, as well as raising it today."

Future Plans

Starmer is largely anticipated to take a comparable business-oriented trip to the People's Republic of China in the next 12 months as part of a mission to improve diplomatic ties between the United Kingdom and the Asian nation.

This bilateral connection 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 threat.

The Prime Minister clarified the United Kingdom was keen to pursue additional commercial partnerships 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, confront where we need to, and this has been the consistent policy of the administration in relation to China."