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

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

Starmer remarked that the first phase of the deal would be a "welcome news globally" and noted that the United Kingdom had contributed significantly behind the scenes with the US and negotiators.

Speaking on the final day of his business trip to the Indian subcontinent, Starmer emphasized that the deal "must now be implemented in full, without postponement, and paired with the immediate lifting of all restrictions on critical humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Nobel Prize Inquiry Addressed

However, when asked if the Nobel committee should now grant Donald Trump the coveted award, the Prime Minister suggested that time was needed to know if a longer lasting peace could be attained.

"The priority now is to move forward and execute this ... my focus now is moving this from the phase it's at now ... and make a success of this, because that is important to me above all," he told reporters at a press conference in India's financial capital.

Business Deals Revealed During India Visit

The Prime Minister has hailed a number of deals finalized during his tour to the country – his first time there – accompanied by 126 business leaders and arts figures. The trip signifies the passing of the countries' trade pact.

• The UK government has unveiled a slew of investments, from financial technology to university campuses, as well as the production of three Bollywood films in the UK.
• On Thursday, the Prime Minister 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 deep, the personal ties between our people are exceptionally strong," Starmer said as he departed the city. "Building on our landmark agreement, we are remaking this partnership for our era."

Digital ID System Studied

Starmer has dedicated time in India analyzing the national digital identification program, including meeting principal architects who designed the comprehensive platform utilized by more than 1 billion people for social services, transactions, and verification.

The prime minister hinted that the United Kingdom was considering expanding 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 banking 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 optional basis [in India] in huge numbers, partly because it means that you can access your own money, make payments so much more conveniently than is available with alternative methods," he noted.

"The efficiency with which it allows citizens here to utilize facilities, particularly financial services, is something that was recognized in our talks recently, and actually a financial technology conversation that we had today. So we're examining those instances of how digital identification helps individuals with procedures that sometimes take too long and are too cumbersome and simplifies them for them."

Popular Backing for Reforms

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

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

Rights Issues and Global Affairs Addressed

Starmer said he had raised a range of challenging issues with the Indian premier regarding human rights and relations with the Russian Federation, though he seemed to have made little headway. Starmer acknowledged that he and Modi talked about how India was persisting to buy Russian oil, which is facing extensive international restrictions.

"For prime minister Modi and myself the focus on resolving this conflict and the multiple measures will be implemented to that end," he said. "And that was a broad spectrum of discussion, but we outlined the actions that we are taking in relation to energy."

The Prime Minister additionally mentioned he had brought up the situation 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 most egregious cases of injustice among Britons still held overseas.

But, he did not suggest much progress had been made. "Indeed, we brought up the consular cases," he stated. "We always raise them when we have the opportunity to do so. I must add that the top diplomat is scheduled to meet the families in coming weeks, as well as raising it now."

Upcoming Initiatives

The prime minister is largely anticipated to take a comparable business-oriented trip to the People's Republic of China in the coming year as part of a mission to ease diplomatic ties between the United Kingdom and the Asian nation.

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

The Prime Minister said the United Kingdom was eager to explore other trading relationships but stated that a commercial agreement with the nation was not on the agenda. "That's not on our list, for a bilateral pact as such, but our position is to work together where we can, confront where we need to, and that's been the ongoing approach of the government in relation to China."