Starmer Praises Trump's Gaza Ceasefire Deal – But Declines of Nobel Prize Endorsement

The Prime Minister has declared that the truce deal in Gaza "could not have happened without President Trump's leadership," yet stopped short of supporting the American leader for a Nobel Prize.

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

Starmer remarked that the initial stage of the agreement would be a "welcome news globally" and highlighted that the United Kingdom had contributed significantly behind the scenes with the United States and negotiators.

Addressing the media on the last day of his trade visit to the Indian subcontinent, the British leader stressed that the agreement "must now be implemented in full, without postponement, and accompanied by the immediate lifting of all restrictions on life-saving humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Peace Prize Question Addressed

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

"What matters now is to press on and implement this ... my attention now is transitioning this from the stage it's at now ... and make a success of this, because that matters to me above all," he told reporters at a media briefing in India's financial capital.

Business Deals Announced During Trip to India

The Prime Minister has hailed a number of deals finalized during his tour to the country – his first time there – joined by 126 business leaders and cultural leaders. The trip signifies the passing of the countries' free trade agreement.

• No 10 has announced a slew of investments, from fintech to higher education facilities, as well as the making of multiple Indian movies in the UK.
• On the final day, the Prime Minister signed a defence deal worth £350 million for UK missiles, manufactured in Northern Ireland, to be used by the Indian army.

"The shared history is profound, the human connections between our citizens are exceptionally strong," Starmer said as he departed the city. "Expanding upon our landmark agreement, we are reinventing this partnership for our era."

Digital Identification Initiative Studied

The Prime Minister has dedicated time in India analyzing the national digital identification program, including consulting key figures who developed the comprehensive platform used by more than 1 billion people for social services, transactions, and identification.

The prime minister suggested that the UK was interested in expanding the scope of digital identification beyond making it compulsory to verify eligibility to work. He proposed that the Britain would in time look at linking it to banking and payments systems – on a optional 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, not least because it means that you can retrieve your own funds, make payments so much more easily than is possible with alternative methods," he noted.

"The efficiency with which it enables residents here to access services, especially financial services, is something that was recognized in our talks recently, and actually a financial technology conversation that we had as well. So we're looking at those examples of how digital identification assists people with processes that sometimes take excessive time and are too cumbersome and simplifies them for them."

Popular Backing for Changes

The Prime Minister acknowledged that the administration had to build public support for the reforms to the UK citizens, which have declined sharply in public approval since he announced them.

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

Human Rights and International Relations Addressed

The Prime Minister confirmed he had brought up a number of difficult topics with the Indian premier regarding human rights and relations with Russia, though he seemed to have made minimal progress. He confirmed that he and Prime Minister Modi talked about how the country was persisting to buy oil from Russia, which is subject to widespread western sanctions.

"For both Prime Minister Modi and me the focus on ending this conflict and the multiple measures will be implemented to that end," he commented. "This included a broad spectrum of discussion, but we did set out the actions that we are taking in regarding energy."

The Prime Minister additionally mentioned he had raised the situation of the UK-based activist Jagtar Singh Johal, from Dumbarton, who has been detained in an Indian jail for almost a decade without facing a full trial. It is frequently mentioned as one of the most egregious cases of injustice among Britons currently detained abroad.

But, he did not indicate much advancement had been achieved. "Indeed, we brought up 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 raising it now."

Future Plans

Starmer is widely expected to take a similar business-oriented visit to China in the next 12 months as part of a effort to ease relations between the UK and the Asian nation.

That relationship is under the spotlight because of the dismissal of a Chinese spying case, said to have happened because the British authorities has been reluctant to provide new proof that the country 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 work together where we are able, challenge where we need to, and that's been the ongoing approach of the administration in relation to China."