The Doha round of multilateral trade talks made some headway Thursday after crucial meetings in New Delhi among the trade ministers of India, Brazil, the United States, the European Union, Japan and Australia even as differences persisted on some key issues, officials said, according to Indo-Asian News Service.

Trade G-6 ministers have set the end of 2007 as the new deadline for successfully round of negotiations of the World Trade Organization.

"We did not meet to achieve any major breakthrough. But it was essential we took stock of the progress we have made so far," India's Commerce Minister Kamal Nath said after two sets of meetings here.

"The Doha Round is already more than six years old and there's general consensus among members we should strive towards consensus by the end of this year," Kamal Nath said, reflecting on the deep chasm that still keeps any deal elusive.

Besides Kamal Nath, the first meeting was attended by Brazil's Trade and Foreign Minister Celso Amorim, EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson and the US Trade Representative Susan Schwab - representatives of the so-called "four interested parties" in the current round of World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations.

They were later joined by Japan's Economy, Trade and Industry Akira Amari, its Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Toshikatsu Matsuoka and Australian Trade Minister Warren Truss.

Kamal Nath said Thursday's meeting reaffirmed the joint commitment of members to conclude the round, as also to prepare a roadmap to intensify the engagements of member nations over next few weeks and months.

"Our talks can seed into larger multilateral process in Geneva. A prerequisite to success is we remain wedded to the mandate. This is a development round and an outcome has to improve the lives of people of all developing countries."

But US Trade Representative Schwab was circumspect in her observation. "We can't be ruled by artificial deadlines. There is a shared sense of urgency and also responsibility. We need to understand that no single country can provide a breakthrough," she said.

The talks under the aegis of the WTO had started in Doha, Qatar, in 2001 but were summarily called off last July after its 150 members failed to reach consensus, mainly on the issue of pruning farm subsidies by rich nations and greater market access in agriculture as well industrial goods from developing countries.

(Xinhua News Agency April 13, 2007)