Friday, September 23 2005 17:21 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Paris: Ministers and officials from India, United States, Brazil and Europe began talks today (Sept 23, 2005) aimed at breaking a deadlock threatening the Doha round of negotiations on a new global trade deal.

With three months to go before the World Trade Organization's 148 member countries are supposed to agree on the outline of a comprehensive new trade treaty, negotiators are struggling to make progress on agricultural issues.

Today's meeting was set to address "the whole spectrum of Doha subjects," said Peter Power, spokesman for European Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson.

Commerce Minister Kamal Nath, US Trade Representative Rob Portman, the top European and U.S. agriculture officials were taking part in the talks hosted by Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim at Brazil's Paris embassy.

Brazil leads the so-called G20 group of developing countries that is pushing for increased access to industrialised markets for their farmers, while arguing that poorer countries should be allowed to cut their own import tariffs much less dramatically. India is also a member.

Differences on how agricultural tariffs and subsidies should be cut, and by which countries, remain the main obstacle to progress in the Doha round.

Simmering disputes over trade in cotton and sugar could also undermine progress at the Paris meeting.