MOSCOW, Feb 8: A leading British business representative warned Russia on Thursday against economic protectionism and criticised "mixed signals" he said Moscow was sending as a natural gas producer that meets a quarter of Europe's demand for the fuel.

"What Russia does and how it acts matters," Confederation of British Industry (CBI) head Richard Lambert said on the second day of a Moscow visit by British business leaders and Department of Trade and Industry Secretary Alistair Darling.

"I hope that Russia will want to reap the long-term benefits of full participation in the global economy and resist the temptation of opting for any perceived short-term gains from economic nationalism," Lambert said, according to the text of a speech he made at Moscow's School of Higher Economics.

The caution came two days after his Russian counterpart, Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs head Vladimir Shokhin, asked President Vladimir Putin for greater protectionist measures to give Russian business an edge over foreign competitors.Darling also suggested Moscow's recent moves to sideline foreign energy giants working here was shortsighted.

"Given the importance, both to the Russsian economy and those of its gas export markets, of maximising its gas output, the mixed signals that have been sent over whether the expertise of Western energy companies is really welcome here creates real difficulties for long-term business planning," he said.

Energy relations between Europe and Russia have been shaken in recent years by supply shortfalls of Russian oil and gas due to energy disputes between Russia and its former Soviet neighbours.

Moscow and London have also clashed over an attempt by British officials early last year to block Russian gas monopoly Gazprom from bidding for British gas company Centrica.—AFP