MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

President Lagos honors U2 band leader Bono

Chilean president Ricardo Lagos awarded Sunday the country's highest honour for the arts to Paul David Hewson, better known as Bono and the leader of the Irish U2 rock band.

The Arts Merit order medal is named after Chilean Nobel Prize laureate Pablo Neruda, whom Bono confesses he is a great admirer.

"It's great to be back in Chile after eight years of absence", said Bono who's currently on a Latinamerica tour, adding that "it's very inspiring to see that Chile will have a woman president, (Michelle Bachelet) although the country already has a great president. I believe Chile has a great future", said Bono during the official ceremony at La Moneda presidential palace.

However besides the medal President Lagos also extended Bono a challenge: a charango, a small lute-like Andean folk instrument which the U2 leader promised to learn how to play.

"During out chat Bono told me that one must keep learning and studying throughout life" Lagos said. "So for his next concert here, I hope he learns to play the charango."

It was not the only distinction for Bono during U2's stop in Chile for a concert Sunday night before a crowd of nearly 80,000 people expected in Santiago's main soccer stadium.

Shortly before the concert, Bono received Amnesty International's "Ambassador of Conscience" award for 2005, which was also granted to the other members of U2, Edge, Larry Mullen Jr., Adam Clayton and manager Paul McGuinness.

Bono has met with leaders and received gifts during other stops on the band's swing through Latin America. While in Brazil he discussed the government's anti-poverty program with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and received a packet of condoms and anti-AIDS information from the Health Ministry.