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

Truce Agreement Welcomed as a "Relief to the World"

Starmer remarked that the initial stage of the agreement would be a "relief to the world" and highlighted that the United Kingdom had played its own role behind the scenes with the US and mediators.

Addressing the media on the final day of his trade visit to India, Starmer stressed that the deal "must now be implemented in full, without delay, and paired with the prompt removal of all limitations on critical humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Nobel Prize Question Answered

But, when asked if the Nobel prize committee should at this time grant Trump the prestigious award, Starmer suggested that time was required to determine if a durable peace could be attained.

"What matters now is to move forward and implement this ... my attention 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 stated at a media briefing in India's financial capital.

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 – joined by 126 business leaders and cultural leaders. The trip signifies the implementation of the countries' free trade agreement.

• No 10 has unveiled a slew of investments, from fintech to university campuses, as well as the making of multiple Indian movies in the United Kingdom.
• On Thursday, Starmer finalized a defence deal worth £350m for British-made missiles, produced in the UK region, to be deployed by the Indian military.

"Our history together is deep, the personal ties between our citizens are exceptionally strong," he said as he left the city. "Expanding upon our historic trade deal, we are reinventing this alliance for our era."

Digital ID Initiative Examined

The Prime Minister has spent time in India studying the national digital identification program, including consulting principal architects who designed the comprehensive platform used by more than 1 billion people for social services, transactions, and identification.

He hinted that the United Kingdom was considering broadening the scope of digital identification beyond making it compulsory to prove rights to work. He proposed that the Britain would in time look at linking it to financial and payments systems – on a optional basis – as well as for administrative tasks such as home loan and school applications.

"It has been adopted on a optional basis [in India] in huge numbers, not least because it means that you can retrieve your own funds, conduct transactions so much more easily than is possible with others," he noted.

"The speed with which it allows residents here to utilize facilities, particularly banking options, is something that was recognized in our talks recently, and actually a Fintech discussion that we had as well. So we're looking at those instances of how digital ID helps individuals with processes that sometimes take excessive time and are too cumbersome and simplifies them for them."

Public Support for Reforms

Starmer acknowledged that the government had to make the case for the initiatives to the UK citizens, which have declined sharply in popularity since Starmer announced them.

"In my view now we need to go out and make that case the significant advantages ... And I think that the greater number of individuals see the benefits that accompany this ... as has happened in different nations, people say: 'That will simplify my daily routine,' and consequently I want to proceed with it," he stated.

Rights Issues and Global Affairs Addressed

Starmer confirmed he had raised a number of difficult topics with the Indian premier regarding civil liberties and ties with the Russian Federation, though he seemed to have made little headway. Starmer confirmed that he and Modi talked about how India was persisting to purchase Russian oil, which is subject to widespread western sanctions.

"For both Prime Minister Modi and me the priority on ending this situation and the various steps will be implemented to that end," he said. "And that was a broad spectrum of discussion, but we outlined the steps that we are undertaking in relation to energy."

The Prime Minister additionally mentioned 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 undergoing a full trial. It is often cited as one of the most egregious cases of unfair treatment among Britons still held overseas.

However, he did not suggest much advancement had been made. "Indeed, 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 meeting the relatives in coming weeks, as well as raising it now."

Upcoming Initiatives

Starmer is largely anticipated to take a similar trade-focused trip to the People's Republic of China in the coming year as part of a effort to ease diplomatic ties between the United Kingdom and China.

That relationship is receiving attention because of the dismissal of a espionage investigation, reportedly occurring because the British authorities has been reluctant to provide new proof that China is considered a security risk.

Starmer said the UK was keen to explore other trading relationships but emphasized that a trade deal with China was not on the agenda. "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 regarding China."