Dutch gay rights organisation COC has called on its members to fly rainbow flags all over Amsterdam during Russian President Dmitry Medvedev's visit there.

COC chair Dennis Boutkan explained to Radio Netherlands Worldwide that the international gay rights flag is meant to show to the president that gays and lesbians are more than welcome in Amsterdam. The city is promoting itself as the world's Gay Capital. "The position of gays and lesbians in Russia is not as rosy as in the Netherlands," Mr Boutkan said. Mr Medvedev is in Amsterdam on Friday for the opening of the new Hermitage Museum, a satellite of St Petersburg's Hermitage.

The COC chair conceded that Mr Medvedev may not be aware of the significance of the flag. "It would be nice if he asked Queen Beatrix during their boat trip what the flag means. Her Majesty knows what it stands for, and she could explain it to him," he speculated. The gay rights group has distributed flags with a Russian text superimposed, saying "Gay rights are human rights, too".

Great day for Amsterdam

The flag protest is described by COC as "a sweet and positive action" on "a great day for Amsterdam".

"Gay rights in Russia are minimal, and I think it's Amsterdam's duty as Gay Capital to draw attention to that. Mayor Job Cohen wrote to his Moscow colleague in the past, pleading with him to allow a Gay Pride Parade in his city,"  Mr Boutkan said.

The action follows an attempt earlier this month by the Dutch contestants in the European Song Contest in Moscow. The male trio, headed by singer Gordon, openly expressed their support for a gay rights march in the Russian capital and threatened to withdraw from the contest if the police cracked down the protest. In the event, the singers never got into the finale of the contest.