Foreign Secretary William Hague was today urging Russia to help create a safer and fairer business environment.
He was expected to press the case for stricter safeguards for firms during talks in London with the Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov covering trade and the crisis in Syria. British business leaders have complained of corruption in Russia and of being held back from competing on fair terms.
Mr Hague was meeting his counterpart along with Defence Secretary Philip Hammond and the Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu for talks over lunch at Lancaster House.
Top of the agenda was a discussion on the Syrian situation, an issue on which the two countries have different approaches. Observers said there was no expectation of a big breakthrough over British calls to ease the arms embargo on the Syrian opposition.
The joint talks come a day after Prime Minister David Cameron hinted the UK might veto an extension of a European Union arms embargo in Syria.
Russia has been the main ally of Syrian president Bashar Assad, shielding him from UN sanctions over the two-year conflict that has claimed the lives of more than 70,000 people.
With the conflict deadlocked, Britain last month successfully pushed for changes to an arms embargo to allow EU member states to provide non-lethal aid to rebels. The US also said it would for the first time provide non-lethal aid to the rebels.
