TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Method: Preferably the method involves preparing the compound of formula (Id). The compound (Id) is further subjected to a formylation step followed by a methylation step to obtain compound of formula (If). Particularly the method involves preparation of azoxystrobin by formylating (2-(6-(2-cyano-phenoxy)-pyrimidin-4-yloxy)-phenyl)-acetic acid methyl ester followed by methylating. Preferred Components: The amount of water used as reaction medium is higher than 0.2:1 (wt./wt.) of water:coupling-component. The catalyst is selected from a piperidine-based molecule of formula (VI), a 1,4-diazabicyclo(2.1.1)hexane-based molecule of formula (VII), a pyrrolidine-based molecule of the general formula (VIII), a tertiary amine-based molecule of formula Y'-CH2-N(R10)2 (IX), an azepine-based molecule of formula (X), quinuclidine-based molecules of formula (XI), a hexamethylenetetramine, a triazole-based molecule of formula (XII), or a 1,4-diazabicyclo(2.2.2)octane-based molecule of formula (XIII) (preferably 1,4-diazabicyclo(2.2.2)octane (DABCO), N-methyl-pyrrolidine, N-methylpiperidine, N-methylmorpholine, hexamethylenetetramine, 1,4-diazabicyclo(2.1.1)hexane, quinuclidine, 3-quinuclidinol or 3-quinuclidinone). The amount of catalyst is 0.1-20 mol.%.q=0, 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5;v=0, 1, 2 or 3;w=0, 1, 2, 3 or 4;X=halo;Y'=CH2N(CH3)2, H, or 1-4C alkyl;G'=C, S, O or N;R10=benzyl or phenyl (both optionally substituted), straight or branched alkyl, halo, cyano, hydroxyl, nitro, alkyl-carbonyl, allyl, formyl, alkoxycarbonyl, aminocarbonyl, alkylaminocarbonyl, dialkylaminocarbonyl, or T1;R11=optionally substituted carbon bridge of 1-3 carbon atoms, or straight or branched alkyl, optionally substituted benzyl, alkoxy, alcohol, alkenyl, carbonyl, or carboxylate;R12=3-6C heterocyclyl, benzyl, phenyl (all optionally substituted), N(CH3)2, straight or branched alkyl, halo, cyano, nitro, alkylcarbonyl, formyl, alkoxy-carbonyl, aminocarbonyl, alkylaminocarbonyl, dialkylaminocarbonyl, or T1;R13=a straight or branched 1-18C alkyl;R14, R15, R16, R17, R18 and R19=H, halo, methyl, methoxy, methylene or cyano;orR14+R15, R16+R17, R18+R19=O, =S, -N or =C(R30)(R31);R30 and R31=H or R10;R20, R21, R22, R23, R24 and R25=H, halo, alkenyl, alkynyl, alkylcarbonyl, formyl, alkoxycarbonyl, amino-carbonyl, alkylaminocarbonyl, dialkylaminocarbonyl, alkyl, aryl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylsulfinyl or alkylsulfonyl aryl groups, heterocyclyl, cycloalkyl, alkoxy, aryloxy, cycloalkyloxy, optionally substituted silyloxy;orR20+R21, R22+R23 and R24+R25=O, =S, =N or =C(R30)(R31);R26=H, halo, alkenyl, alkynyl, alkylcarbonyl, formyl, alkoxy-carbonyl, aminocarbonyl, alkylaminocarbonyl, dialkylaminocarbonyl, alkyl, aryl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylsulfinyl or alkylsulfonyl aryl groups, heterocyclyl, cyclo-alkyl, alkoxy, aryloxy, cycloalkyloxy or optionally substituted silyloxy. Preferred Definitions:    R1, R2, R3 and R4=H;    R5=a group of formula (ia) or (if), -CH(CH-(OCH3)2)-C(O)-OCH3, or -CH2-C(O)-OCH3;    R6=2-cyanophenyl;    R7=H, fluoro or chloro.    ACTIVITY - Fungicide. No biological data given.    MECHANISM OF ACTION - None given.    SPECIFIC COMPOUNDS - Preparation of 2 compounds is specified as the 4,6-bis(aryloxy)pyrimidine compound (I), e.g. methyl (E)-2-(2-(6-(2-cyanophenoxy)-pyrimidin-4-yloxy)phenyl)-3-methoxyacrylate (azoxystrobin) (IA), and methyl 2-(2-(6-(2-cyanophenoxy)pyrimidin-4-yloxy)phenyl)acetate.    EXAMPLE - In a 500 mL flask equipped with a magnetic stirrer, 100 g (E)-methyl 2-(2-((6-chloropyrimidin-4-yl)oxy)phenyl)-3-methoxyacrylate, 41 g 2-hydroxybenzonitrile, and 25.08 g potassium carbonate were added. About 50 ml water and 2.86 g N-methyl-piperidine were added at ambient temperature, then the mixture was placed on an oil bath at ambient temperature and heating begun. The mixture was heated to 120 degrees C over 20 minutes and stirring begins once the external temperature 80 degrees C. Some gas evolution was noted. The mixture was stirred at 100 degrees C for 5 hours, under a mild reflux. The mixture was then cooled to 80 degrees C and diluted with 200 ml ethyl acetate and then with 100 ml water. The two phases were stirred and separated. The upper organic portion was evaporated to dryness under vacuum at 40 degrees C. The crude residue was dissolved in 200 ml methanol at reflux, then 30 ml water was added slowly at that temperature. The solution was allowed to cool freely with agitation to ambient temperature over 1 hour and the solution was seeded with 0.4 g pure azoxystrobin at 40 degrees C. The resulting slurry was further cooled to 0 degrees C over 20 minutes, and hold there for a further 20 minutes, then the solids were recovered by suction filtration and washed with 50 ml cold methanol:water 4:1. The filter cake was dried under vacuum at ambient temperature overnight, to obtain 114.68 g, 91.2% yield of azoxystrobin as a free flowing pale brown powder with 97% purity.