Bono and fellow debt campaigner Bob Geldof notably exempted Canada from criticism aimed at members of the G-8 summit group at the weekends Genoa meetings.

Meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien in Genoa harbour, Bono saluted Canada's efforts to push other industrial countries to reduce the debts of the world's poorest nations.

"One of the things is to say thank you and that's unusual," Bono told Chrétien during a half-hour visit. "Canada has led the way. You have been very smart."

Geldof, added: "You are radical. You are the most radical country. You have set the agenda."

Geldof and Bono, part of a delegation from the campaigning group Drop the Debt, were lobbying politicians from the G8 countries to win further cancellation of the unpayable debts of the worlds poorest countries.

Later, Chrétien was asked if he could name any of U2 or Geldof's songs. He appeared to have forgotten them as convincingly as Canada has forgotten the debts of the poorest countries.

You know, I'm not much of a singer. he said.