Tokyo: India on February 14 set the tone for developing countries at the World Trade Centre (WTO) mini-ministerial meeting by spelling out its reservations on market access in agriculture and pleaded for commitment from developed nations for free movement of professionals without any right over immigration.

Trade and Commerce Minister Arun Jaitley, making his debut at this forum, said in his ministerial intervention that India continued to have reservations on market access suggestions made in the first draft modalities paper by WTO committee on agriculture chairman Stuart Harbinson.

"Safeguarding the interests of farmers – especially the marginal and resource poor farmers – would be the paramount consideration governing India's approach to the agriculture negotiations in WTO," he said, adding 650 million Indians depended on it for their livelihood.

However, the Minister said the first draft modalities appeared to have taken into account the problems expressed by developing countries in the agricultural sector by proposing retention of special and differential treatments, de minimus level at 10 per cent and new flexibility for maintaining domestic production capacity for food security.

Jaitley said, "This is of course only a first draft and we will have the opportunity to make more improvements through further negotiations."

PTI