Sharjah24 – Reuters: British singer Dua Lipa received Albanian citizenship on Sunday (November 27) in a ceremony hosted by the Albanian president in Tirana.
"It is a great honour for me and my family to have an opportunity to represent my country and people," Lipa said after receiving official citizenship documents.
Lipa was born in London, but her roots go back to Kosovo, where her parents come from.
Her family fled to London in the early 90s when the small Balkan province was struggling with communist Yugoslavia and later Serbia for greater rights and independence for the province.
In 2008, when Lipa was 13, Kosovo Albanians declared independence and the Lipas returned to Pristina. Dua Lipa lived there for two years before returning to London to pursue her career.
At Sunday's ceremony, Albanian President Bajram Begaj called Lipa's accomplishments a point of pride for Albania and Kosovo.
"A simple girl whose fame is known all over the world, she has given us the greatest pride, the Albanian Nation, Albanians, Kosovo, Albanians wherever they live and work", said Begaj.
Lipa will end her "Future Nostalgia" tour in Tirana on Monday (November 29), Albania's 110th Independence Day.