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Keir Starmer has declared that the truce deal in Gaza "would not have occurred without the leadership of Donald Trump," but stopped short of endorsing the US president for a Nobel peace prize.

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

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

Addressing the media on the final day of his business trip to India, the British leader stressed that the deal "needs to be put into action in full, without postponement, and paired with the prompt removal of all limitations on life-saving humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Peace Prize Question Answered

However, when asked if the Nobel prize committee should now award Trump the prestigious prize, the Prime Minister implied that time was needed to know if a longer lasting peace could be achieved.

"What matters now is to move forward and execute this ... my focus now is transitioning this from the stage it's at now ... and ensure the success of this, because that matters to me above all," he told reporters at a press conference in India's financial capital.

Trade and Investment Revealed During India Visit

The Prime Minister has hailed a number of deals finalized during his tour to the country – his first time there – joined by over a hundred executives and arts figures. The visit marks the implementation of the countries' free trade agreement.

• No 10 has announced a slew of investments, from financial technology to higher education facilities, as well as the production of multiple Indian movies in the United Kingdom.
• On Thursday, the Prime Minister finalized a military agreement worth £350 million for UK missiles, produced in the UK region, to be used by the Indian military.

"Our history together is profound, the human connections between our citizens are exceptionally strong," Starmer said as he left the city. "Building on our historic trade deal, we are remaking this partnership for our times."

Digital Identification System Examined

Starmer has spent time in Mumbai studying the national digital identification program, including meeting key figures who developed the comprehensive platform used by over a billion individuals for social services, payments, and verification.

He suggested that the UK was considering expanding the scope of digital identification beyond making it compulsory 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 official procedures such as home loan and educational enrollments.

"It has been adopted on a optional basis [in India] in huge numbers, not least because it ensures that you can access your own money, make payments so much more conveniently than is possible with alternative methods," he explained.

"The speed with which it enables citizens here to access services, particularly financial services, is something that was acknowledged in our discussions yesterday, and actually a Fintech conversation that we had as well. So we're looking at those instances of how digital ID helps individuals with processes that sometimes take too long and are overly complex and simplifies them for them."

Public Support for Changes

The Prime Minister acknowledged that the government had to build public support for the reforms to the British public, which have plummeted in popularity since he proposed them.

"In my view now we need to go out and advocate for the huge benefits ... And I believe 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 therefore I want to get on with it," he stated.

Rights Issues and Global Affairs Discussed

The Prime Minister said he had brought up a range of challenging issues with the Indian premier regarding civil liberties and ties with the Russian Federation, though he appeared to have made little headway. Starmer confirmed that he and Modi talked about how India was persisting to buy oil from Russia, which is subject to extensive international restrictions.

"For both Prime Minister Modi and me the focus on resolving this conflict and the various steps will be implemented to that end," he commented. "This included a wide range of discussion, but we outlined the actions that we are taking in relation to energy."

Starmer additionally said he had raised 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 facing a full trial. It is frequently mentioned as one of the most egregious cases of injustice among UK nationals currently detained abroad.

But, Starmer did not suggest much advancement had been achieved. "Yes, we brought up the diplomatic matters," he stated. "We always raise them when we have the opportunity to do so. I should say that the top diplomat is scheduled to meet the relatives in the near future, as well as raising it today."

Future Plans

Starmer is largely anticipated to take a comparable business-oriented trip to China in the next 12 months as part of a effort to improve diplomatic ties between the UK and the Asian nation.

This bilateral connection is receiving attention because of the collapse of a Chinese spying case, said to have happened because the UK has been reluctant to provide new proof that China is deemed a security risk.

The Prime Minister said the UK was keen to explore additional commercial partnerships but emphasized that a commercial agreement with China was not on the agenda. "It is not a priority, for a bilateral pact as such, but our position is to cooperate where we are able, challenge where we need to, and that's been the ongoing approach of the administration in relation to China."