LONDON: Dua Lipa, the English-Balkan pop star, was awarded the title of honorary ambassador for Kosovo on Friday.
The 26-year-old singer, whose parents have Kosovo Albanian ancestry, announced the news in a social media post. Kosovo is a Muslim-majority nation in the Balkan region.
“It’s an honor and a privilege to be able to represent my country all over the world and to continue my work and efforts globally to see that we leave our mark and make a difference,” she said in an Instagram post.
“The youth of Kosovo deserves the right to visa liberalisation, freedom to travel and to dream big. Thank you,” she added, in reference to a campaign by the country for visa-free access to the EU.
Lipa received the honor on Friday while she was in the country for the Sunny Hill Festival, the show that she and her father organized.
She was given the title by the Republic of Kosovo president Vjosa Osmani-Sadriu, who invited her to receive the title in an emotional letter which the singer shared on her social profile.
“Aside from being a world-class and a once-in-a-generation musician, you are also a role model for many girls and women across the world as a forthright and conscientious activist,” the politician wrote.
“But above all, what you have done for the people of Kosovo, in raising awareness of the Republic of Kosovo is unmatched and truly invaluable,” Osmani-Sadriu added.
The singer-songwriter, known worldwide for her signature disco-pop music style, grew up in the UK.
Following Kosovo’s declaration of independence in 2008, she moved back to the country’s capital Pristina with her family where she launched her musical career, before returning to London in 2015.
