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The Prime Minister has asserted that the truce deal in Gaza "would not have occurred without President Trump's leadership," yet avoided supporting the American leader for a Nobel peace prize.

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

The prime minister remarked that the first phase of the deal would be a "welcome news globally" and highlighted that the UK had played its own role in private discussions with the United States and negotiators.

Addressing the media on the last day of his trade visit to the Indian subcontinent, Starmer stressed that the agreement "needs to be put into action in full, without delay, and accompanied by the prompt removal of all limitations on life-saving humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Nobel Prize Question Answered

However, when asked if the Nobel prize committee should now grant Donald Trump the coveted prize, the Prime Minister implied that more time was required to know if a durable peace could be achieved.

"The priority now is to move forward and implement this ... my focus now is transitioning this from the phase it's at now ... and ensure the success of this, because that matters to me more than anything else," he stated at a press conference in India's financial capital.

Trade and Investment Announced During Trip to India

The Prime Minister has hailed a number of deals finalized during his tour to India – his maiden visit there – joined by 126 business leaders and cultural leaders. The visit signifies the implementation of the two nations' trade pact.

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

"The shared history is deep, the personal ties between our citizens are truly special," Starmer said as he left Mumbai. "Expanding upon our historic trade deal, we are reinventing this partnership for our era."

Digital Identification Initiative Examined

The Prime Minister has dedicated time in India studying the national digital identification program, including consulting principal architects who designed the comprehensive platform utilized by over a billion individuals for social services, transactions, and verification.

The prime minister hinted that the United Kingdom was considering broadening the scope of digital ID beyond making it compulsory to prove rights to work. He indicated that the Britain would eventually look at connecting it to banking and payments systems – on a voluntary basis – as well as for official procedures such as mortgage and educational enrollments.

"It's been taken up on a optional basis [in India] in massive scale, partly because it ensures that you can access your own money, conduct transactions so much more easily than is possible with alternative methods," he explained.

"The speed with which it enables residents here to access services, especially financial services, is something that was recognized 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 assists individuals with processes that often take too long and are overly complex and simplifies them for them."

Popular Backing for Changes

Starmer acknowledged that the administration had to make the case for the initiatives to the British public, which have plummeted in popularity since he announced them.

"In my view now we need to go out and advocate for the huge benefits ... And I think that the greater number of individuals see the positive outcomes that accompany this ... as has occurred in other countries, citizens say: 'That will make my life easier,' and therefore I want to get on with it," he stated.

Human Rights and Global Affairs Addressed

The Prime Minister confirmed he had brought up a number of difficult topics with the Indian leader regarding civil liberties and relations with Russia, though he seemed to have made little headway. Starmer confirmed that he and Prime Minister Modi discussed how the country was persisting to buy Russian oil, which is facing extensive international restrictions.

"For prime minister Modi and myself the priority on ending this conflict and the various steps will be implemented to that purpose," he commented. "And that was a broad spectrum of discussion, but we outlined the actions that we are taking in regarding energy."

The Prime Minister also mentioned he had raised the situation of the UK-based activist the individual, from Scotland, who has been detained in an Indian prison for almost a decade without facing a complete legal process. It is often cited as one of the most egregious cases of unfair treatment among UK nationals still held overseas.

However, he did not suggest much advancement had been achieved. "Indeed, we brought up the consular cases," he said. "We consistently address them when we have the chance to do so. I must add that the foreign secretary is meeting the families in the near future, as well as discussing it now."

Upcoming Initiatives

The prime minister is largely anticipated to take a similar business-oriented visit to the People's Republic of China in the next 12 months as part of a mission to improve diplomatic ties between the UK and the Asian nation.

This bilateral connection is under the spotlight because of the dismissal of a espionage investigation, said to have happened because the British authorities has been reluctant to provide new proof that China is considered a security risk.

The Prime Minister said the UK was eager to explore other trading relationships but stated that a commercial agreement with the nation was not currently planned. "It is not a priority, for a trade deal as such, but our stance is to cooperate where we can, challenge where we must, and that's been the ongoing approach of the administration in relation to China."