After a series of problems with her government plane, the German Foreign Minister Annalina BurbockShe covered her planned week-long trip to Australia on Tuesday.
“We’ve tried everything,” Burbock wrote, “but it’s no longer logistically possible to continue my flight to the Pacific without the faulty plane. It’s very upsetting.” On X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
The plane was forced to turn after a second attempt to fly from Abu Dhabi to Australia failed early Tuesday morning.
The official account of the German Air Force, Team Luftwaffe, wrote on the X website: “Mission aborted! The error appeared again when the machine was now full of fuel. We are now landing in Abu Dhabi again.”
The second attempt to take off to Australia was made around 1 am local time (2100 UTC).
On Monday, Barbock was already stuck for hours in Abu Dhabi after her plane experienced mechanical difficulties.
The German foreign minister’s visit to the Pacific region would have also seen talks in New Zealand and Fiji.
What are the problems with the plane?
After stopping to refuel in Abu Dhabi on Monday, the plane carrying Barbuck and his delegation had to dump fuel and turn around.
“Due to a mechanical problem, we have to return to Abu Dhabi for safety reasons. Options for further travel arrangements are currently being clarified,” said German Foreign Ministry spokesman Sebastian Fischer, who was on board.
Shortly after takeoff, the captain informed passengers of problems with the landing boards retracting, according to reporters traveling with the minister.
Diplomacy has stopped
This is not the first time that aircraft problems have derailed German Diplomacy.
In mid-May, Barbuck was stranded in Doha, Qatar, due to a flat tire on her government plane.
Last year, she had to cancel a meeting with her British counterpart after her The plane was stopped in Ireland because of the ice.
Birbuck’s first scheduled visit to Australia
During her inaugural visit to Australia, Barbock planned to visit both the capital, Canberra, and the capital, Sydney. A meeting with Foreign Minister Penny Wong is also scheduled in Sydney.
According to the German Foreign Ministry’s website, the main topics Berbock intends to discuss with regional partners are economic security, Russia’s war against Ukraine, and China’s role in the Indo-Pacific.
On Tuesday in Canberra, Burbock was due to take part in a ceremony to return cultural objects to representatives of the indigenous Karna people at the Institute for Indigenous Studies.
dh/lo, rs (dpa, AP, DW sources)
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