New Delhi: India will take a "firm and tough" stand at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) mini ministerial in Tokyo on the issue of market access on agriculture and services, as a large population was dependent on them.

"We will take a firm stand, especially on agriculture. India has been forcefully putting across its point of view as many in the country are dependent on agriculture," Commerce and Industry Minister Arun Jaitley told reporters on the eve of his departure for Tokyo for the three-day meeting beginning on February 14.

India would also seek to evolve a consensus among developing countries on other non- agricultural issues like services and Singapore issues – trade and investment, competition, transparency in government procurement and trade facilitation.

This is for the first time India would be represented by two ministers – Jaitley and Agriculture Minister Ajit Singh – at the ministerial, which could set the tone for the discussions at the WTO ministerial at Cancun in September.

Declining to give what would be India's exact strategy, Jaitley said, "We have a clear stand on agriculture and market access. There is no dilution of the stand taken by India at Doha. We have to reiterate that in Tokyo."

PTI