Did German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock find no protocol welcome in India? Fact Check

Posted by: Arun Nag October 30, 2024

A viral video on social media is being circulated showing German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock arriving in India but surprised to find no formal welcome on the tarmac. See the video here:

Shared on Facebook, it carried a cpation that reads: “German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock arrives in India to find no formal welcome on the tarmac.”

When searched, we found a similar claim was made about her visit to China showing the same video as seen below:

The same can be accesed here and here.

FACT-CHECK

Digiteye India received a request on WhatsApp and took it up for fact-checking as the claim goes against the established protocol extended to visiting foreign dignitaries.

First, we conducted a Google Reverse Image Search on keyframes taken from the video. The search gave out results and included in it was a link to a post on X (formerly Twitter) claiming the video was from China. But some Community Notes below the claim of her arrival in China added clarification indicating that it was taken in Malaysia in January 2024, when the German Foreign Minister visited Southeast Asia.

When we checked the video of her visit in January showed Baerbock’s visit to Southeast Asia, the same was matching with the video being shared as her India or China visit. The background and Baerbock’s clothing in the first five seconds matched the viral clip, confirming that both videos were filmed at the same location but from different angles.

Additionally, a Deutsche Welle report from January 16 included a photo of Baerbock in Kuala Lumpur that matched the viral clip. Sebastian Fischer, a German Foreign Ministry official, confirmed in a report by RIA Novosti that the viral video was filmed in Malaysia and that the plane had been incorrectly parked due to a misunderstanding. Secondly, there was a proper welcome accorded to the German delegation in India as seen here.

Hence, the video circulating online does not show Annalena Baerbock’s arrival in India. Instead, it was taken in Malaysia in January 2024, when reportedly a miscommunication regarding the plane’s parking in Kuala Lumpur Airport led it to an isolated slot.

Claim: A viral video on social media allegedly shows German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock arriving in India without a formal welcome on the tarmac.

Conclusion: Misrepresentation. The video does not show Annalena Baerbock’s recent arrival in India. Instead, it was filmed at Kuala Lumpur Airport in Malaysia on January 12, 2024.

Rating: Misrepresentation —

About Arun Nag

Arun is with Digiteye India since the beginning as the main source for re-writing copies and re-checking the facts and images. He writes on general and tech issues. He can be reached at arunnag@digiteye.in

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