But in a fax on Monday to members of the body that umpires world trade, a copy of which was obtained by Reuters on Wednesday, Lamy made it clear he had not yet decided whether negotiating positions were close enough to call a meeting.

"As we all know, we still have a number of outstanding issues. But the reality is the relevance of what we are doing to the financial crisis," Lamy said.

"If we fail we have a problem, but although there remains the risk of failure, the risks involved in not trying are higher," he said.

Leaders of the G20 rich and emerging countries called last month for an outline Doha deal by the end of this year.

NEW OPPORTUNITIES

They believe this would boost business confidence in the face of the financial crisis, by creating new export opportunities in goods from food to cars as well as services like transport or telecoms.

But senior U.S. lawmakers warned on Tuesday against rushing into a meeting that fails to open up markets sufficiently to satisfy U.S. businesses. [ID:nN02269754]

The United States wants big emerging countries like Brazil, India and China to remove barriers to imports.

But major developing countries argue the United States and other rich nations are not doing enough to free up their markets for food or end the trade-distorting supports that squeeze poor-country farmers out of world markets.

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer said he was confident an outline deal could be completed this year, and confirmed that Washington was ready to make a big cut in its agreed ceiling for agriculture subsidies if other countries open their markets further to U.S. farm produce. [ID:nPEK289202]

"We in the United States remain confident that we can see a successful completion to the Doha round this year," Schafer told reporters in Beijing.

An outline deal would agree the framework for cutting agricultural subsidies and industrial and farm tariffs, leaving negotiators to work on the details, as well as freeing up trade in other areas like services and fisheries next year.

Lamy said the next stage now is for the chairmen of the core talks in agriculture and industrial goods to issue revised negotiating texts.

These would capture the progress made in the past months' negotiations, while making clear which issues are so politically sensitive that only ministers can decide on them.

The chairmen have said they expect to issue new drafts at the end of this week or the weekend. The WTO's 153 members would then want to pore over the details for a few days.

"My own sense is that this course of action could allow us to have ministers in town in a window of time somewhere around 13-14-15 December," Lamy said.

He said it would not be practical to hold a meeting at the last minute before the Christmas/New Year break. Officials said Lamy would wait to see the revised texts and reaction to them before deciding when or whether to call a meeting.

Ministers from several major trading powers could gather ahead of the meeting as early as Dec. 11, one diplomat said.

Among the tough issues which ministers will need to resolve is a proposal for groups of countries to agree to eliminate duties in certain industrial sectors, such as chemicals or textiles, beyond any overall cuts in industrial tariffs.

Ministers also need to decide on a proposal to safeguard farmers in poor countries from a surge in imports, which caused the collapse of the previous ministerial talks in July. Negotiators say they have made progress on the issue since then.