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Keir Starmer has stated that the truce deal in Gaza "could not have happened without President Trump's leadership," yet stopped short of endorsing the American leader for a Nobel peace prize.

Truce Agreement Hailed as a "Relief to the Globe"

The prime minister remarked that the first phase of the deal would be a "welcome news globally" and noted that the United Kingdom had contributed significantly in private discussions with the US and negotiators.

Speaking on the final day of his business trip to India, the British leader emphasized that the agreement "needs to be put into action in full, without postponement, and paired with the prompt removal of all restrictions on critical humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Nobel Prize Inquiry Addressed

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

"What matters now is to press on and execute this ... my focus now is moving this from the stage it's at now ... and ensure the success of this, because that matters to me more than anything else," he told reporters at a media briefing in Mumbai.

Business Deals Announced During India Visit

Starmer has celebrated a number of deals sealed during his visit to India – his maiden visit there – joined by 126 business leaders and cultural leaders. The visit signifies the passing of the countries' free trade agreement.

• The UK government has announced a slew of investments, from financial technology to higher education facilities, as well as the making of multiple Indian movies in the UK.
• On Thursday, Starmer finalized a military agreement worth £350 million for UK missiles, produced in the UK region, to be used by the Indian army.

"The shared history is profound, the human connections between our people are truly special," Starmer remarked as he departed Mumbai. "Building on our landmark agreement, we are remaking this partnership for our era."

Digital Identification Initiative Examined

The Prime Minister has dedicated time in India analyzing the national digital identification program, including meeting principal architects who developed the widespread system utilized by over a billion individuals for benefits, transactions, and identification.

The prime minister hinted that the UK was interested in broadening the scope of digital ID beyond making it mandatory to verify eligibility to work. He indicated that the Britain would eventually look at connecting it to financial and transaction networks – on a voluntary basis – as well as for administrative tasks such as mortgage and school applications.

"It has been adopted on a voluntary basis [in India] in massive scale, not least because it ensures that you can retrieve your own money, conduct transactions so much more easily than is available with others," he noted.

"The speed with which it allows citizens here to utilize facilities, particularly banking options, is something that was acknowledged in our talks yesterday, and actually a financial technology discussion that we had today. So we're looking at those instances of how digital ID helps people with procedures that often take too long and are overly complex and makes them easier for them."

Popular Backing for Reforms

Starmer acknowledged that the government had to make the case for the reforms to the British public, which have declined sharply in public approval since Starmer proposed them.

"I think now we need to go out and advocate for the significant advantages ... And I think that the more people see the positive outcomes that come with this ... as has happened in other countries, people say: 'That will make my life easier,' and therefore I want to proceed with it," he affirmed.

Human Rights and International Relations Addressed

Starmer confirmed he had brought up a range of challenging issues with the Indian premier regarding human rights and relations with Russia, though he seemed to have made little headway. He acknowledged that he and Modi discussed how India was continuing to purchase Russian oil, which is facing widespread western sanctions.

"For prime minister Modi and myself the focus on ending this situation and the multiple measures will be implemented to that purpose," he said. "And that was a broad spectrum of dialogue, but we did set out the actions that we are undertaking in regarding energy."

Starmer also said he had raised the case of the UK-based activist the individual, from Scotland, who has been held in an Indian prison for nearly eight years without facing a complete legal process. It is frequently mentioned as one of the worst examples of injustice among UK nationals currently detained abroad.

But, Starmer did not suggest much progress had been made. "Yes, we did raise the consular cases," he stated. "We always raise them when we have the chance to do so. I must add that the foreign secretary is scheduled to meet the relatives in coming weeks, as well as discussing it now."

Upcoming Initiatives

The prime minister is widely expected to take a comparable business-oriented visit to the People's Republic of China in the coming year as part of a mission to improve relations between the United Kingdom and China.

This bilateral connection is under the spotlight because of the collapse of a espionage investigation, said to have happened because the British authorities has been unwilling to provide new proof that China is considered a threat.

Starmer clarified the UK 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 trade deal as such, but our position is to cooperate where we are able, confront where we need to, and this has been the ongoing approach of the administration in relation to China."