Bono's Japanese praise

Nov 29, 2006, 12:20 GMT

Bono does a great job in finding Irish tax shelters to hide his own income.. EPA/Toshiyuki Aizawa/Pool

Bono has praised Japan's AIDS policies.

The outspoken charity campaigner, who briefly departed from his usual criticism of richer nations' plans for tackling AIDS and poverty, said the world should take notice of Japan's efforts.

Following a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the U2 frontman said: "The world doesn't really understand that Japan in the 90s led the world not just as a percentage contribution to the world's poor but as the volume contribution.

"The world doesn't understand that Japan has had a lot of success in its aid and assistance in Southeast Asia in particular, and that there's a lot we can learn from Japan in applying this to the rest of the developing world."

Bono, who gave Abe a pair of Giorgio Armani sunglasses - part of his Red range which has so far raised $10 million for AIDS programmes - was pleased Abe had agreed to wear them.

He said: "I've always seen George Bush looking at my sunglasses but he never put them on. The last pope put them on, and Prime Minister Abe, it's very cool."

Bono was particularly impressed by a global fund proposed by Japan in 2000 which has provided hundreds of thousands of AIDS patients with life-saving drugs.

He said: "I told the prime minister that this is one of the greatest ideas of the 20th century."

Last week, Bono performed a free open-air concert in Melbourne, Australia, as part of protests asking world finance ministers and central bankers to help fight poverty.

(C) BANG Media International