Keir Starmer Praises President Trump's Gaza Ceasefire Deal – However Declines of Peace Prize Endorsement

The Prime Minister has asserted that the Gaza ceasefire agreement "could not have happened without the leadership of Donald Trump," but avoided endorsing the US president for a Nobel Prize.

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

The prime minister commented that the first phase of the deal would be a "relief to the world" and highlighted that the UK had contributed significantly behind the scenes with the United States and negotiators.

Speaking on the final day of his business trip to India, the British leader emphasized that the agreement "must now be implemented in full, without postponement, and paired with the prompt removal of all limitations on critical humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Peace Prize Question Addressed

However, when asked if the Nobel committee should at this time grant Trump the coveted prize, Starmer implied that more time was needed to know if a longer lasting peace could be attained.

"What matters 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 matters to me more than anything else," he told reporters at a press conference in Mumbai.

Business Deals Revealed During Trip to India

The Prime Minister has celebrated a series of agreements finalized during his visit to India – his maiden visit there – accompanied by over a hundred executives and cultural leaders. The visit marks the passing of the countries' trade pact.

• The UK government has announced a slew of investments, from fintech to university campuses, as well as the production of three Bollywood films in the UK.
• On Thursday, the Prime Minister signed a defence deal worth £350 million for British-made missiles, produced in the UK region, to be used by the Indian military.

"Our history together is profound, the human connections between our people are truly special," he said as he left the city. "Expanding upon our landmark agreement, we are remaking this partnership for our era."

Digital ID Initiative Studied

The Prime Minister has spent time in India analyzing the national digital identification program, including consulting key figures who developed the widespread system used by more than 1 billion people for benefits, payments, and verification.

The prime minister hinted that the UK was interested in expanding the scope of digital ID beyond making it mandatory to prove rights to work. He indicated that the UK 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 educational enrollments.

"It's been taken up on a voluntary basis [in India] in massive scale, partly because it means that you can retrieve your own funds, conduct transactions so much more easily than is available with others," he explained.

"The speed with which it enables residents here to access services, particularly financial services, is something that was acknowledged in our discussions yesterday, and in fact a financial technology conversation that we had today. So we're examining those examples of how digital identification assists people with procedures that often take excessive time and are too cumbersome and makes them easier for them."

Popular Backing for Reforms

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

"I think now we need to go out and make that case the huge benefits ... And I think that the more people see the positive outcomes that come with this ... as has occurred in different nations, citizens say: 'That will make my life easier,' and consequently I want to proceed with it," he affirmed.

Rights Issues and International Relations Discussed

The Prime Minister confirmed he had brought up a range of challenging issues with the Indian leader regarding civil liberties and relations with the Russian Federation, though he appeared to have made minimal progress. He confirmed that he and Prime Minister Modi talked about how India was continuing to buy oil from Russia, which is subject to widespread western sanctions.

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

The Prime Minister also mentioned he had brought up the situation of the British Sikh activist Jagtar Singh Johal, from Scotland, who has been detained in an Indian prison for almost a decade without undergoing a complete legal process. It is frequently mentioned as one of the worst examples of injustice among Britons still held overseas.

But, he did not suggest much advancement had been made. "Indeed, we did raise the diplomatic matters," he stated. "We consistently address them when we have the opportunity to do so. I must add that the foreign secretary is meeting the relatives in coming weeks, as well as discussing it now."

Future Plans

Starmer is largely anticipated to take a similar business-oriented trip to the People's Republic of China in the next 12 months 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, said to have happened because the UK has been reluctant to provide fresh evidence that the country is deemed a threat.

The Prime Minister clarified the UK was eager to pursue additional commercial partnerships but stated that a commercial agreement with China was not currently planned. "That's not on our list, for a trade deal as such, but our stance is to work together where we are able, challenge where we need to, and that's been the consistent policy of the government in relation to China."