Keir Starmer Praises President Trump's Gaza Truce Deal – But Stops Short of Nobel Prize Endorsement

The Prime Minister has stated that the Gaza ceasefire agreement "would not have occurred without the leadership of Donald Trump," but stopped short of supporting the US president for a Nobel Prize.

Truce Agreement Hailed as a "Relief to the World"

Starmer commented that the first phase of the agreement would be a "relief to the world" and noted that the UK had played its own role behind the scenes with the US and negotiators.

Addressing the media on the final day of his trade visit 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 restrictions on life-saving humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Peace Prize Question Addressed

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

"The priority now is to press on and implement this ... my focus now is moving this from the stage it's at now ... and ensure the success of this, because that is important to me above all," he told reporters at a media briefing in India's financial capital.

Trade and Investment Announced During Trip to India

The Prime Minister has celebrated a series of agreements finalized during his tour to India – his maiden visit there – joined by 126 business leaders and cultural leaders. The visit marks the implementation of the countries' free trade agreement.

• The UK government has announced a range of financial commitments, from fintech to university campuses, as well as the production of multiple Indian movies in the UK.
• 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 army.

"Our history together is deep, the personal ties between our citizens are exceptionally strong," he remarked as he left the city. "Expanding upon our landmark agreement, we are remaking this partnership for our era."

Digital Identification Initiative Examined

The Prime Minister has dedicated time in India analyzing the Indian digital ID system, including meeting key figures who designed the widespread system utilized by over a billion individuals for social services, transactions, and identification.

He hinted that the UK was interested in expanding the scope of digital identification beyond making it mandatory to prove rights to work. He proposed that the UK would eventually look at linking it to financial and transaction networks – on a voluntary basis – as well as for administrative tasks such as home loan and school applications.

"It's been taken up on a optional basis [in India] in massive scale, not least because it ensures that you can retrieve your own funds, make payments so much more conveniently than is available with alternative methods," he explained.

"The efficiency with which it enables citizens here to access services, particularly banking options, is something that was recognized in our talks recently, and in fact a financial technology conversation that we had today. So we're examining those instances of how digital identification helps individuals with processes that sometimes take too long and are too cumbersome and simplifies them for them."

Popular Backing for Changes

The Prime Minister acknowledged that the government had to make the case for the reforms to the British public, which have plummeted 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 greater number of individuals see the benefits that accompany this ... as has happened in other countries, citizens say: 'That will make my life easier,' and therefore I want to get on with it," he stated.

Rights Issues and Global Affairs Addressed

The Prime Minister confirmed he had raised a number of difficult topics with the Indian leader regarding civil liberties and relations with the Russian Federation, though he seemed to have made minimal progress. He acknowledged that he and Prime Minister Modi discussed how the country was persisting to purchase Russian oil, which is facing widespread western sanctions.

"For prime minister Modi and myself the focus on ending this situation and the multiple measures will be taken to that end," he said. "And that was a wide range of discussion, but we outlined the steps that we are taking in regarding energy."

The Prime Minister also said he had brought up the situation of the British Sikh activist the individual, from Scotland, who has been held in an Indian jail for almost a decade without facing a complete legal process. It is frequently mentioned as one of the worst examples of injustice among UK nationals still held overseas.

However, he did not indicate much advancement had been made. "Indeed, we did raise the consular cases," he said. "We always raise them when we have the opportunity to do so. I should say that the top diplomat is meeting the relatives in the near future, as well as discussing it today."

Upcoming Initiatives

The prime minister is widely expected to take a comparable trade-focused trip to China in the next 12 months as part of a effort to ease diplomatic ties between the UK and the Asian nation.

This bilateral connection is under the spotlight because of the collapse of a espionage investigation, reportedly occurring because the UK has been unwilling to provide fresh evidence that the country is considered a security risk.

The Prime Minister clarified the United Kingdom was keen 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 are able, confront where we must, and this has been the ongoing approach of the administration in relation to China."