Trade and commerce ministers commence bilateral talks in New Delhi today, in advance of a formal meeting of the main four trading powers negotiating to achieve a breakthrough to the stalled Doha round of global trade discussions.

The US and the European Union, who are the lead negotiators for the G4, were expected to meet first prior to talks between the EU and Brazil, as each side prepares for a meeting tomorrow.

Thursday meeting between the US, the EU, Brazil and India would be the first formal round of talks between the four since July 2006 when the Doha Round broke over disagreements on farm subsidies and tariffs.

The Doha trade round has been underway for more than five years and began with a view to boosting the world economy and lifting millions out of poverty by lowering trade barriers.

The United States is under pressure from the European Union to make increase the cuts in farm subsidies than it has offered so far, while the US wants the EU for greater reductions in tariffs on farm products.

India and Brazil, which have emerged the leaders of the developing nations are being urged to open their markets more widely to farm and industrial products.

Some observers say a roundtable discussion may be more likely than one-on-one talks to put pressure on the United States to move further on subsidies and make India reduce the list of products it wants to protect from tariff cuts.

Negotiations have been hovering on the brink of failure since June 2006 and the US and EU are keen to get a deal done urgently before the White House's "fast-track" powers to negotiate a trade deal for approval or rejection by the US Congress without any amendments expires on 30 June 2007. A Democrat-controlled Congress may not be inclined to extend these fast-track powers.

Observers say unless a draft deal looks likely, US lawmakers may have little incentive to renew the power.