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Global pop sensation Dua Lipa has expressed feeling that her “two sides are now one” following the granting of Kosovo citizenship.
Born in London to Kosovan-Albanian parents, the artist resided in Pristina, the capital city, for a brief period from age 11 after her parents’ return following Kosovo’s declaration of independence.
President Vjosa Osmani, who presided over the citizenship ceremony, conveyed that it was an “honour” to grant citizenship to Lipa, recognizing her as “one of the most iconic cultural figures in our country’s history”.
In a statement, Lipa remarked, “It completes the duality I have always had within. I love this country and this means so much to me and my family.”
President Osmani shared photographs of the ceremony on X, stating, “Dua and Kosovo have always been inseparable. From the world’s biggest stages to the hearts of millions, she’s carried our story with strength, pride, and grace…”
“Our gratitude is endless for everything Dua has done, and continues to do for Kosovo.”
“Kosovo’s gem – welcome back home,” she added in a subsequent post.
Lipa is currently in Kosovo to headline the three-day Sunny Hill Festival on Friday.
The singer has frequently voiced her affection for the nation, establishing a charitable organization focused on aiding vulnerable communities within Kosovo.
Upon arrival at the ceremony, the “Radical Optimism” artist was greeted by a children’s choir performing her hit song “Levitating”.
Also present at the ceremony was UK Ambassador to Kosovo, Jonathan Hargreaves.
He posted a picture smiling alongside Lipa on X, and said the UK and Kosovo were proud to call the pop star “one of our own”.
Lipa now holds citizenship in Britain, Albania, and Kosovo.
She was previously granted Albanian citizenship in 2022 in recognition of her promotion of the country through her music and global recognition.
Lipa also received the title of Honorary Ambassador of Kosovo from the President in 2022.
She affirmed it was an “honour and a privilege to be able to represent my country all over the world and to continue my work and efforts globally”.
Following her performance at the Sunny Hill Festival on Friday, she shared on Instagram: “Sharing this night with you all, in the city that shaped me, surrounded by so much energy, joy, and pride… it’s hard to put into words what it means.”
Lipa and her father established the music event in her parents’ hometown in 2018.
The festival, as she explained last year, was founded “to change the rhetoric of what people think about Kosovo and it being war-torn”.
Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia in 2008, following years of strained relations between its Serb and predominantly Albanian populations, and has since been recognized by the US and the majority of major EU countries.
However, Serbia, with the support of Russia, has refused to recognize Kosovo’s independence, a stance also held by most ethnic Serbs residing within Kosovo.
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