New Delhi, April 11:

Top trade negotiators from six key members of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) began talks today to discuss a deadlock over global trade negotiations.

The Doha round of WTO talks, named after the capital of Qatar where negotiations began in 2001, have been stalled since last July over rich nations’ refusal to significantly cut farm subsidies and by developing cou-ntries’ reluctance to grant greater access to markets.

The meetings in the Indian capital are the first time the so-called G-4 - which is how the US, EU, Brazil and India are known within the WTO - has met since it failed to reach an agreement during talks in July. Officials have since met several times informally either on the sidelines of international conferences or through bilateral forums.

Today’s focus is on bilateral meetings before a formal dialogue tomorrow, when Japan and Australia are expected to join the negotiations. EU trade commissioner Peter Mandelson said he was going into the talks with a positive and fle-xible approach, but decli-ned to predict any possible outcome. “I shall know how hopeful I am once the talks begin,” he told ahead of a meeting with US trade representative Susan Schwab.

Later today he is expected to hold talks with Indian commerce minister Kamal Nath and Brazilian trade and foreign minister Celso Amorin. “We are always po-sitive always showing flexibility and I would do my be-st to sustain that position on behalf of the EU,” he added.

Today’s meetings are closed door and officials are not expected to make any formal comments. The focus is expected to be on see-king a convergence of views on key issues such as agricultural subsidies and tariffs, measures to enhance exports from so-called LDCs and concessions for poorer nations wanting to protect some of their domestic industries.

Last week, Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said US president George W Bush told him during a meeting that a WTO deal could come within 30 days. During a recent visit to New Delhi, EU agriculture commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel said that recent talks helped narrow the differences between India and Europe on some key issues.

However, there has been growing resentment among other members, who feel that the negotiations are being hijacked by rich nations and emerging powers such as India and Brazil. Some of them have threatened to veto any deal, if it lacks transparency and doesn’t address their concerns.