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| Dua Lipa given Kosovo citizenship by president | Dua Lipa given Kosovo citizenship by president |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Lipa was greeted by President Vjosa Osmani in the ceremony on Friday | Lipa was greeted by President Vjosa Osmani in the ceremony on Friday |
| Pop star Dua Lipa has said it "feels like my two sides are now one" after being granted Kosovo citizenship. | |
| The singer was born in London to Kosovan-Albanian parents, and she lived in the capital Pristina briefly from the age of 11 when her parents returned after Kosovo gained independence. | The singer was born in London to Kosovan-Albanian parents, and she lived in the capital Pristina briefly from the age of 11 when her parents returned after Kosovo gained independence. |
| President Vjosa Osmani, who hosted the ceremony, said it was an "honour" granting Lipa citizenship, hailing her as "one of the most iconic cultural figures in our country's history". | |
| In a statement, Lipa added: "It completes the duality I have always had within. I love this country and this means so much to me and my family." | |
| Sharing photographs of the ceremony on X, Osamni wrote: "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." | "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 separate post. | "Kosovo's gem - welcome back home," she added in a separate post. |
| Lipa is currently in Kosovo for the three-day Sunny Hill Festival, which she headlined on Friday. | Lipa is currently in Kosovo for the three-day Sunny Hill Festival, which she headlined on Friday. |
| Lipa has often spoken of her love for the country, and set up a charity that focuses on helping vulnerable communities in Kosovo. | Lipa has often spoken of her love for the country, and set up a charity that focuses on helping vulnerable communities in Kosovo. |
| The Radical Optimism singer was greeted at the ceremony by a children's choir, singing a rendition of her hit Levitating. | The Radical Optimism singer was greeted at the ceremony by a children's choir, singing a rendition of her hit Levitating. |
| Also in attendance was UK Ambassador to Kosovo, Jonathan Hargreaves. | Also in attendance 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". | 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 has citizenship for Britain, Albania and Kosovo. | Lipa now has citizenship for Britain, Albania and Kosovo. |
| She was granted Albanian citizenship in 2022 for promoting the country through her music and fame. | She was granted Albanian citizenship in 2022 for promoting the country through her music and fame. |
| Dua Lipa is granted Albanian citizenship | Dua Lipa is granted Albanian citizenship |
| Lipa was also awarded the title of Honorary Ambassador of Kosovo by the president in 2022. | Lipa was also awarded the title of Honorary Ambassador of Kosovo by the president in 2022. |
| She said 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". | She said 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". |
| After her performance at the Sunny Hill Festival on Friday, she wrote 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 established the music event in her parents' hometown with her father in 2018. | |
| The festival, she explained last year, was set up "to change the rhetoric of what people think about Kosovo and it being war-torn". | The festival, she explained last year, was set up "to change the rhetoric of what people think about Kosovo and it being war-torn". |