Irish band U2 performed three concerts in Mexico City´s Azteca stadium as part of their 360 Tour on May 11, 14, and 15 as lead singer Bono met with President Felipe Calderon to discuss the nation's growing drug-related violence and poverty.

Lead singer Bono celebrated his birthday while in Mexico city. The band also took time to sign autographs for fans at their hotel ahead of the concerts.

'Thank you for this last week,' Bono said in Spanish towards the end of With or Without You in the final concert on Sunday.

'We've had some great times in this country. This has been the best of all. Can we consider ourselves Irish Mexican?'

I want you to send a message of love along the border to the good and the great people of the United States of America, Bono said during the third concert, according to the band's website.

I want you to send a message to people of conscience, he said.

Ask them to answer the question. Why is it that all we hear on the news is how drugs are smuggled through Mexico to the United States?

'And we don't hear about all the automatic weapons that are being smuggled into Mexico from the United States. Nine thousand registered arms dealers on the other side of the border. Nine thousand.

Most of the murders committed here are from weapons sold in the United States of America, he said.

'We sing this for the innocents who have lost their lives in the violence here,' he said, before continuing the song with an alternate lyric:

Late in the evening, April 15
Automatic round takes a mother and child.
Free at last, they took your life
A lioness and her prideIn the name of love....'

Bono met with Mexican President Felipe Calderon at Los Pinos Presidential Palace last Thursday.

Extraordinary concert from U2. Thanks to Bono for giving strength to Mexico and for defending the better causes, Calderon wrote in a Twitter message using a BlackBerry device.

Calderon and Bono spoke about drug violence and poverty in the country. Calderon thanked the singer for sending a message to victims of drug violence at a performance

Fan Gang, director of Chinas National Institute of Economic Research, listens during an interview in Hong Kong October 25, 2007.
Fan Gang, director of China's National Institute of Economic Research, listens during an interview in Hong Kong October 25, 2007. REUTERS
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