German Foreign Minister Finally Arrives in Australia

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has finally arrived in Australia, albeit eight and a half months later than originally scheduled. She embarked on her journey aboard a brand new aircraft, as the previous fleet from Berlin, which was prone to breakdowns, had become a subject of ridicule.

On Thursday, Annalena Baerbock, the German Foreign Minister, arrived in Adelaide, Australia, aboard a plane from Berlin, following the cancellation of a previous attempt to visit the city in August.

The aircraft she traveled on, named Konrad Adenauer, is one of the new VIP planes from Berlin, replacing a previous plane that had experienced numerous mechanical issues.

What caused the delay of the previous journey?

The aircraft underwent close monitoring due to multiple mechanical failures that led to the cancellation of the trip to Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji last year.

The Berlin fleet of German government planes had become a subject of mockery due to technical issues.

During German Foreign Minister Baerbock’s previous trip to Australia, an older government aircraft, specifically an Airbus A340 named after Germany’s first post-war chancellor, Konrad Adenauer, encountered technical difficulties. They have retired this aircraft.

Baerbock’s journey was only able to reach Abu Dhabi on that occasion.

Former Chancellor Angela Merkel and her successor Olaf Scholz both utilized the aircraft, which unfortunately encountered numerous issues. One such incident occurred when Merkel was en route to a G20 summit in Buenos Aires.

The aircraft experienced a significant malfunction mid-flight, forcing it to return and land in Cologne. As a result, Merkel had to complete her journey to the Argentine capital via a commercial flight.

Similarly, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier faced a delay during his trip to various African countries due to problems with the government’s “Theodor Heuss” jet, which is also an Airbus A340.

Furthermore, the previous aircraft named Konrad Adenauer also encountered breakdowns in both New York and Beijing.

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What’s on the agenda for the trip?

German Ambassador to Australia Beate Grzeski and Chris Cannan, the head of the European Department of Australia’s Foreign Ministry, greeted Baerbock.

She is scheduled to have a meeting with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong on Friday and tour a cybersecurity center and an Australian Navy post in Adelaide.

After visiting Adelaide, German Foreign Minister Baerbock plans to travel to New Zealand and then make history as the first German foreign minister to visit the South Pacific island state of Fiji.

Throughout her journey, the Green Party politician will cover approximately 43,000 kilometers (around 26,700 miles) and spend over 50 hours on the plane.

Prior to her trip, Baerbock emphasized the growing significance of the region to Germany for strategic and economic purposes. She specifically highlighted escalating tensions with China concerning espionage accusations, trade, Taiwan, and the disputed waters of the South China Sea.