BAKU, February 20. /TASS/. The Security Service of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, who was in Washington to attend the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace, on Thursday reacted to a security threat stemming from the actions by protesters in the American capital city, the Azerbaijani embassy said, commenting on the incident.

According to the embassy, "a group of protesters committed provocative actions" in front of Hotel Waldorf Astoria, where the Azerbaijani leader was staying. "When the presidential motorcade approached the hotel the protesters violently attempted to enter the protected area and took offensive actions against the presidential vehicle," the embassy said in a statement cited by the APA news agency. "This group also used indecent expressions against the leadership of Azerbaijan."

"The Presidential Security Service had no choice but to immediately intervene, since any attempt to obstruct or physically interfere with a protected vehicle carrying the head of state constitutes a serious security concern. Protective responses, as a standard practice, were aimed solely at ensuring the safety and security," it said. "Moreover, as publicly stated by the U.S. Secret Service, the hotel area was included within the official security perimeter."

"Therefore, we resolutely reject any attempt to mischaracterize and disseminate allegations on the security measures taken in response to actions targeting a country’s leader and a protected motorcade," the embassy stressed. "Azerbaijan’s security personnel always operate in strict coordination with the host country."