U2 lead singer Bono shared a bite to eat with US president George Bush yesterday, as the two talked about issues affecting the world.

Bono was in Washington with U2 as part of the Vertigo tour and lunched with the president for almost two hours.

The talks were continuations of the discussions between the two at Gleneagles in Scotland earlier in the year, when the G8 summit was held.

White House spokesman Scott McClellan said: "Both share a deep commitment to combating AIDS, preventing malaria, and expanding trade to lift people out of poverty, particularly in developing countries."

U2's American concerts have been the subject of claims that they are being used to help raise funds for the two main political groups in the US, Republicans and Democrats.

Bono has denied this, issuing a statement through the advocacy group he founded Debt Aids Trade Africa (DATA).

"This is not anything that DATA is involved in, and it’s not an issue for DATA."