To successively construct two amide bonds between two benzene rings, the reaction of methyl N-alkylanthranilate and N-alkylisatoic anhydride in the presence of a base was studied. When the reaction was carried out with lithium hexamethyldisilazide and N,N,N',N'-tetramethylethylenediamine in THE at 70 degrees C under reduced pressure, a cyclic diamide was obtained in high yield.