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Keir Starmer has declared that the truce deal in Gaza "could not have happened without the leadership of Donald Trump," but avoided supporting the US president for a Nobel peace prize.

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

The prime minister remarked that the initial stage of the agreement would be a "relief to the world" and highlighted that the UK had contributed significantly in private discussions with the US and mediators.

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

Peace Prize Question Answered

But, when asked if the Nobel committee should now award Trump the coveted award, Starmer suggested that time was needed to know if a durable 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 make a success of this, because that matters to me more than anything else," he told reporters at a media briefing in Mumbai.

Business Deals Revealed During India Visit

The Prime Minister has celebrated a series of agreements sealed during his visit to the country – his maiden visit there – accompanied by over a hundred executives and arts figures. The trip signifies the passing of the two nations' trade pact.

• No 10 has announced a range of financial commitments, from fintech to higher education facilities, as well as the making of three Bollywood films in the United Kingdom.
• On Thursday, Starmer finalized a military agreement worth £350 million for UK missiles, manufactured in the UK region, to be used by the Indian military.

"Our history together is profound, the human connections between our citizens are truly special," he remarked as he left Mumbai. "Expanding upon our landmark agreement, we are remaking this partnership for our era."

Digital Identification Initiative Studied

Starmer has spent time in India analyzing the national digital identification program, including consulting principal architects who developed the widespread system utilized by more than 1 billion people for social services, payments, and identification.

The prime minister suggested that the United Kingdom was interested in expanding the scope of digital ID beyond making it compulsory to prove rights to work. He indicated that the UK would in time look at linking it to financial and transaction networks – 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, not least because it ensures that you can retrieve your own money, conduct transactions so much more easily than is possible with alternative methods," he explained.

"The efficiency with which it allows citizens here to utilize facilities, especially financial services, is something that was recognized in our talks recently, and actually a financial technology discussion that we had as well. So we're looking at those examples of how digital ID helps individuals with procedures that often take too long and are overly complex and makes them easier for them."

Popular Backing for Changes

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

"In my view now we need to go out and advocate for the huge benefits ... And I think that the more people see the benefits that accompany this ... as has occurred in different nations, people say: 'That will make my life easier,' and consequently I want to get on with it," he affirmed.

Human Rights and International Relations Discussed

The Prime Minister said he had brought up a number of difficult topics with the Indian leader regarding civil liberties and relations with the Russian Federation, though he seemed to have made minimal progress. He acknowledged that he and Prime Minister Modi talked about how the country was persisting to purchase oil from Russia, which is facing extensive international restrictions.

"For both Prime Minister Modi and me the focus on resolving this situation and the multiple measures will be taken to that end," he commented. "This included a wide range of discussion, but we outlined the steps that we are taking in regarding energy."

Starmer additionally said he had raised the case of the UK-based activist Jagtar Singh Johal, from Dumbarton, who has been held in an Indian jail for nearly eight years without undergoing a complete legal process. It is frequently mentioned as one of the most egregious cases of unfair treatment among Britons currently detained abroad.

But, Starmer did not indicate much progress had been achieved. "Indeed, we did raise the consular cases," he stated. "We always raise them when we have the opportunity to do so. I should say that the foreign secretary is meeting the families in the near future, as well as discussing it today."

Future Plans

The prime minister is widely expected to take a similar trade-focused trip to 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 dismissal of a Chinese spying case, said to have happened because the British authorities has been unwilling to provide new proof that the country is deemed a threat.

Starmer clarified the UK was keen to explore other trading relationships but emphasized that a commercial agreement with the nation was not currently planned. "It is not a priority, for a trade deal as such, but our stance is to work together where we can, confront where we need to, and this has been the ongoing approach of the government in regarding China."