AZE.US
Emin Agalarov has rejected suggestions that his marriage to Leyla Aliyeva was arranged as a union between two influential families.
In an interview with the YouTube channel “Sveta Vokrug Sveta,” the businessman and singer said he first met Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev by chance at the Swiss ski resort of St. Moritz.
Agalarov said he was skiing with friends when they told him the Azerbaijani president was nearby.
“I walked up and asked if I could shake his hand. I said, ‘I am Araz Agalarov’s son.’ He replied, ‘I know your father. Send him my regards,’” Agalarov recalled.
He said the meeting was completely unplanned.
Agalarov also denied that his relationship with Leyla Aliyeva was driven by family or business interests.
At the time, he said, his father’s business was based almost entirely in Russia. The family’s only significant property in Azerbaijan was a summer house.
“The way it may look from the outside, as if there was some kind of clan arrangement, that was not the case,” he said.
Agalarov acknowledged that his parents welcomed his relationship with the president’s daughter. But he said the marriage was based on personal feelings.
“It was not because she was the president’s daughter. It was because I genuinely fell in love with her,” he said.
He also spoke warmly about Leyla Aliyeva’s parents, saying their main concern was the happiness of their children rather than the wealth or status of a future spouse.
“What matters to them is that their children are happy,” Agalarov said.
Agalarov and Aliyeva have maintained a close relationship since their separation. Their sons, Ali and Mikail, regularly spend time with their father.
He said Aliyeva recently helped the boys arrange a surprise for his birthday. They entered the concert hall unexpectedly while he was performing on stage.
Agalarov described the gesture as especially meaningful.
AZE.US