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The Prime Minister has declared that the truce deal in Gaza "could not have happened without the leadership of Donald Trump," yet stopped short of endorsing the US president for a Nobel peace prize.

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

The prime minister remarked that the initial stage of the deal would be a "relief to the world" and highlighted that the United Kingdom had played its own role in private discussions with the US and mediators.

Addressing the media on the final day of his trade visit to India, the British leader emphasized that the deal "must now be implemented in full, without delay, and paired with the prompt removal of all limitations on life-saving humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Nobel Prize Inquiry Answered

However, when questioned if the Nobel committee should at this time award Trump the coveted award, the Prime Minister suggested that time was needed to know if a durable peace could be achieved.

"What matters now is to move forward and execute this ... my focus 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 stated at a press conference in Mumbai.

Business Deals Revealed During Trip to India

The Prime Minister has celebrated a number of deals sealed during his visit to the country – his maiden visit there – accompanied by 126 business leaders and arts figures. The trip marks the implementation of the two nations' trade pact.

• The UK government has unveiled a range of financial commitments, from financial technology to higher education facilities, as well as the making of multiple Indian movies in the UK.
• On Thursday, the Prime Minister finalized a defence deal worth £350m for UK missiles, manufactured in Northern Ireland, to be used by the Indian army.

"Our history together is deep, the human connections between our people are exceptionally strong," Starmer said as he departed Mumbai. "Expanding upon our landmark agreement, we are reinventing this alliance for our times."

Digital ID System Examined

The Prime Minister has dedicated time in India analyzing the Indian digital ID system, including consulting principal architects who designed the comprehensive platform utilized by over a billion individuals for benefits, payments, and verification.

He hinted that the UK was interested in broadening the scope of digital ID beyond making it mandatory to prove rights to work. He indicated that the Britain would in time look at linking it to financial and transaction networks – on a optional basis – as well as for official procedures such as mortgage and school applications.

"It's been taken up on a optional basis [in India] in massive scale, not least because it means that you can access your own funds, conduct transactions so much more easily than is possible with others," he explained.

"The speed with which it allows residents here to access services, especially financial services, is something that was acknowledged in our talks yesterday, and in fact a Fintech conversation that we had as well. So we're examining those examples of how digital identification helps individuals with processes that often take too long and are overly complex and simplifies them for them."

Public Support for Reforms

Starmer admitted that the administration had to build public support for the initiatives to the UK citizens, which have plummeted in public approval since he proposed them.

"I think now we need to go out and make that case the significant advantages ... And I believe that the greater number of individuals see the positive outcomes 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 affirmed.

Rights Issues and International Relations Addressed

The Prime Minister confirmed he had brought up a range of challenging issues with the Indian leader regarding civil liberties and ties with Russia, though he appeared to have made little headway. Starmer confirmed that he and Modi discussed how India was persisting to buy oil from Russia, which is subject to widespread western sanctions.

"For prime minister Modi and myself the priority on ending this conflict and the various steps will be taken to that end," he commented. "This included a wide range of dialogue, but we did set out the steps that we are undertaking in relation to energy."

Starmer additionally said he had raised the case of the British Sikh activist Jagtar Singh Johal, from Scotland, who has been held in an Indian jail for almost a decade without facing a full trial. It is often cited as one of the worst examples of unfair treatment among Britons still held abroad.

However, he did not indicate much advancement had been achieved. "Yes, we did raise 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 meeting the families in coming weeks, as well as raising it now."

Future Plans

Starmer is widely expected to take a comparable business-oriented trip to the People's Republic of China in the next 12 months as part of a mission to improve relations between the UK and China.

That relationship is under the spotlight because of the dismissal of a Chinese spying case, reportedly occurring because the British authorities has been reluctant to provide new proof that China is considered a security risk.

Starmer clarified the UK was eager to pursue additional commercial partnerships but emphasized that a commercial agreement with the nation was not on the agenda. "That's not on our list, for a trade deal as such, but our stance is to work together where we can, confront where we must, and that's been the consistent policy of the administration in regarding China."