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The Prime Minister has stated that the Gaza ceasefire agreement "would not have occurred without President Trump's leadership," but stopped short of supporting the American leader for a Nobel peace prize.

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

Starmer remarked that the initial stage of the deal would be a "welcome news globally" and noted that the UK had contributed significantly in private discussions with the US and negotiators.

Speaking on the final day of his trade visit to India, the British leader emphasized that the agreement "needs to be put into action in full, without delay, and accompanied by the immediate lifting of all limitations on life-saving humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Nobel Prize Question Answered

However, when asked if the Nobel prize committee should now award Donald Trump the prestigious award, the Prime Minister suggested that more time was needed to determine if a durable peace could be attained.

"The priority 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 press conference in Mumbai.

Trade and Investment Revealed During Trip to India

The Prime Minister has celebrated a series of agreements finalized during his visit to the country – his first time there – joined by over a hundred executives and cultural leaders. The visit signifies the passing of the two nations' trade pact.

• The UK government has announced a range of financial commitments, from financial technology to higher education facilities, as well as the production of three Bollywood films in the UK.
• On Thursday, Starmer signed a military agreement worth £350 million for British-made missiles, manufactured in Northern Ireland, to be deployed by the Indian military.

"Our history together is profound, the personal ties between our citizens are exceptionally strong," Starmer remarked as he departed Mumbai. "Expanding upon our landmark agreement, we are reinventing this partnership for our times."

Digital ID Initiative Studied

The Prime Minister has dedicated time in Mumbai studying the national digital identification program, including consulting principal architects who developed the widespread system used by over a billion individuals for social services, transactions, and identification.

The prime minister hinted that the United Kingdom was considering broadening the application of digital identification beyond making it mandatory to prove rights to work. He indicated that the Britain would in time look at connecting it to financial and transaction networks – on a optional basis – as well as for administrative tasks such as home loan and school applications.

"It's been taken up on a voluntary basis [in India] in huge numbers, not least because it ensures that you can access your own funds, make payments so much more easily than is available with alternative methods," he explained.

"The speed with which it enables citizens here to utilize facilities, particularly banking options, is something that was recognized in our discussions recently, and actually a financial technology conversation that we had today. So we're examining those instances 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 government had to build public support for the initiatives to the UK citizens, which have plummeted in popularity since Starmer announced them.

"In my view now we need to go out and make that case the huge benefits ... And I believe 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 stated.

Rights Issues and Global Affairs Discussed

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

"For prime minister Modi and myself the priority on ending this situation and the various steps will be implemented to that purpose," he said. "This included a broad spectrum of dialogue, but we outlined the actions that we are undertaking in relation to energy."

The Prime Minister also mentioned he had brought up the case of the British Sikh activist Jagtar Singh Johal, from Dumbarton, who has been detained in an Indian jail for nearly eight years without undergoing a complete legal process. It is often cited as one of the worst examples of injustice among UK nationals currently detained overseas.

But, he did not indicate much progress had been made. "Yes, we did raise the diplomatic matters," he stated. "We consistently address them when we have the opportunity to do so. I should say that the top diplomat is scheduled to meet the relatives in coming weeks, as well as discussing it now."

Future Plans

The prime minister is largely anticipated to take a similar trade-focused visit to the People's Republic of China in the next 12 months as part of a effort to improve relations between the United Kingdom and the Asian nation.

That relationship is receiving attention because of the collapse of a espionage investigation, reportedly occurring because the UK has been reluctant to provide fresh evidence that China is considered a threat.

Starmer said the United Kingdom was eager to explore additional commercial partnerships but emphasized that a commercial agreement with the nation was not currently planned. "That's not on our list, for a bilateral pact as such, but our position is to cooperate where we can, challenge where we must, and that's been the ongoing approach of the administration in relation to China."