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The Prime Minister has stated that the truce deal in Gaza "would not have occurred without the leadership of Donald Trump," yet avoided supporting the US president for a Nobel peace prize.

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

Starmer commented that the first phase of the agreement would be a "welcome news globally" and highlighted that the United Kingdom had played its own role behind the scenes with the United States and negotiators.

Addressing the media on the last day of his business trip to India, Starmer emphasized that the agreement "must now be implemented in full, without postponement, and accompanied by the prompt removal of all restrictions on life-saving humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Peace Prize Inquiry Answered

However, when questioned if the Nobel committee should at this time award Trump the coveted award, Starmer suggested that time was needed to know if a durable peace could be achieved.

"What matters now is to move forward and execute this ... my focus now is transitioning this from the phase it's at now ... and make a success of this, because that matters to me above all," he stated at a press conference in India's financial capital.

Trade and Investment Revealed During Trip to India

The Prime Minister has hailed a series of agreements finalized during his visit to the country – his first time there – accompanied by over a hundred executives and arts figures. The visit marks the implementation of the two nations' free trade agreement.

• The UK government has unveiled a range of financial commitments, from fintech to higher education facilities, as well as the making of multiple Indian movies in the United Kingdom.
• On Thursday, Starmer finalized a military agreement worth £350 million for British-made missiles, manufactured in Northern Ireland, to be deployed by the Indian military.

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

Digital Identification Initiative Examined

Starmer has dedicated time in Mumbai studying the Indian digital ID system, including consulting principal architects who designed the widespread system used by over a billion individuals for benefits, payments, and verification.

The prime minister hinted that the UK was considering broadening the application of digital identification beyond making it compulsory to prove rights to work. He indicated that the Britain 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 educational enrollments.

"It's been taken up on a optional basis [in India] in huge numbers, partly because it ensures that you can retrieve your own funds, make payments so much more conveniently than is possible with alternative methods," he explained.

"The efficiency with which it allows citizens here to utilize facilities, particularly banking options, is something that was acknowledged in our talks recently, and in fact a Fintech discussion that we had as well. So we're looking at those examples of how digital identification assists people with processes that sometimes take too long and are too cumbersome and simplifies them for them."

Public Support for Changes

Starmer admitted that the administration had to make the case for the reforms to the UK citizens, which have plummeted in popularity since Starmer announced them.

"I think now we need to go out and make that case the huge benefits ... And I think that the more people see the positive outcomes that accompany this ... as has occurred in different nations, people say: 'That will simplify my daily routine,' and therefore I want to get on with it," he affirmed.

Rights Issues and Global Affairs Addressed

Starmer confirmed he had brought up a number of difficult topics with the Indian leader regarding human rights and ties with Russia, though he seemed to have made little headway. Starmer acknowledged that he and Prime Minister Modi discussed how India was continuing to buy oil from Russia, which is facing extensive international restrictions.

"For prime minister Modi and myself the focus on ending this conflict and the various steps will be implemented to that end," he said. "And that was a broad spectrum of dialogue, but we did set out the steps that we are undertaking in relation to energy."

Starmer also said he had brought up the case of the UK-based activist the individual, from Scotland, who has been detained in an Indian jail for nearly eight years without facing a full trial. It is often cited as one of the most egregious cases of injustice among Britons currently detained abroad.

But, Starmer did not indicate much progress had been achieved. "Indeed, we did raise the diplomatic matters," he said. "We consistently address them when we have the chance to do so. I should say that the foreign secretary is meeting the relatives in the near future, as well as raising it now."

Upcoming Initiatives

The prime minister is widely expected to take a comparable trade-focused visit to the People's Republic of China in the coming year as part of a mission to ease relations between the UK and the Asian nation.

That relationship is receiving attention because of the collapse of a espionage investigation, reportedly occurring because the British authorities has been unwilling to provide fresh evidence that China is deemed a security risk.

Starmer clarified the United Kingdom was keen to explore other trading relationships but emphasized that a trade deal with China was not currently planned. "It is not a priority, for a bilateral pact as such, but our stance is to work together where we are able, confront where we must, and this has been the consistent policy of the administration in relation to China."