CREDIT: REUTERS/Jim Young Bono, lead singer of the group U2, arrives at the G8 summit in Heiligendamm June 6, 2007.

KUHLUNGSBORN, Germany -- Prime Minister Stephen Harper has given the cold shoulder at the G8 summit to a trio of celebrity anti-poverty activists led by Irish rock star Bono.

The U2 front man, accompanied by fellow Irish rocker-activist Bob Geldof and Senegalese singer Youssou N'Dour, met on the sidelines of the summit on Wednesday with U.S. President George W. Bush, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi.

After meeting with Mr. Bush, Bono praised the U.S. president for announcing plans last week to pour US$30-billion over five years into Africa to fight AIDS.

But Mr. Harper appears to sing from a different songbook.

The celebrity trio has requested to meet with the prime minister several times over the last few days, but has received no response from the Prime Minister's Office, said Taylor Thompson, a spokeswoman for DATA, an aid organization co-founded by Bono and Geldof.

Mr. Thompson said Canadians are known as "great, generous people," but Mr. Harper's team "is not currently doing them justice."

Sandra Buckler, Mr. Harper's director of communications, didn't respond when asked if the PMO received the requests. At an earlier briefing with reporters, she said a meeting with Bono at the summit was unlikely.

"The prime minister has spoken in the past with Bono via telephone. Obviously, the prime minister has a very full agenda over the next two days. After the G8, I see no problem with them having a chat," she said.

Former prime minister Paul Martin frequently met with Bono, who appeared with Mr. Martin on the day he was named Liberal leader in 2003.

But in 2005, Bono said he was "crushed" at Canada's failure to meet its commitments to increase development aid.

Since taking office, Mr. Harper has declined to meet with such celebrity activists as French actress Brigitte Bardot, who opposes Canada's seal hunt.

"It's not in my nature to take photos with famous people," Mr. Harper said in March 2006, when he turned down a meeting with Ms. Bardot.

The prime minister did pose  for a photo last week with California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, even though he refused to hold a news conference with the "Governator." Harper handed Mr. Schwarzenegger an Ottawa Senators jersey and received an Anaheim Ducks jersey in return.

Mr. Harper has also appeared several times on the television show of comedian Rick Mercer.

Mr. Geldof earlier this week attacked Canada's aid record. The outspoken singer, who co-founded DATA with Bono and organized the Live 8 series of concerts in 2005, accused Canadian officials this week of blocking the G8 from making specific aid commitments at the summit. The prime minister's office denies the allegation.

At the 2005 G8 summit in Gleneagles, Scotland, the group pledged to double aid to Africa by 2010-11.

Mr. Harper says Canada is on track to meet the commitment, but DATA says the government will need to increase aid funding by $479-million over the next two years to keep its promise.

The PMO has promised to provide figures to counter DATA's claim, but has yet to do so.

Alleviating poverty and disease in Africa was one of the priorities on the agenda of Merkel, the summit host, but it has been overshadowed this week by a rift between the United States and Europe on climate change and a threat by Russia to aim nuclear missiles at Europe.

Of the G8 countries, only Japan and Britain are on track to meet the commitments made at Gleneagles, according to DATA.