Amorim, a leading figure in the G20 group of emerging and developing nations in the World Trade Organisation, said after meeting representatives of the broader G90 group of developing nations that any differences were "smaller than what we have in common."

"I felt that we're on the same wavelength in terms of unity and mobilisation," he told journalists, underlining a common desire to continue negotiations and ward off attempts to drive a wedge between poorer nations.

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner on Thursday criticised the role played by fast-growing emerging nations -- mainly Brazil and India -- saying they were too often taken to represent the interests of poor nations as a whole.

Kouchner said developing countries had an interest in striking the right balance in the negotiations, "which is not that of emerging countries."

A bid by the so-called "G4" group of influential trading nations -- the European Union, the United States, Brazil and India -- to relaunch the near six year-old talks on reducing barriers to commerce broke down last month

Amorim and Indian Commerce Minister Kamal Nath walked out of the meeting in Potsdam, Germany, blaming the EU and United States for failing to meet their demands on slashing state agriculture subsidies.