Sealed with a hug: Kofi Annan and Bono

He told reporters outside: "It's madness that a pop star has to be standing here. Somebody else should be doing this, somebody else more qualified."

"But you know what? They don't have time. They're not bad guys in Washington, they're just busy guys."

Jubilee 2000

The 40-year-old singer is part of the star-studded Jubilee 2000 campaign to bring an end to world debt.

The group is pressing for Western leaders to write off up to and $350 billion in "unpayable" arrears.

After the meeting with Annan, Bono vowed to get debt relief "up the list of priorities".

The world record amount of signatures and thumbprints on the petition were collected from 155 countries and include those of David Bowie, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Muhammad Ali and the Dalai Lama.

Annan said: "I hope this symbolic gesture made by ordinary people tells their governments that this is serious and I hope that the message gets through."