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Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his delegation resorted to a road trip from Paris to Brussels to attend a NATO Foreign Ministers meeting due to an unexpected mechanical issue with their aircraft on Wednesday.

The State Department confirmed the shift in travel plans, stating, “Due to a mechanical issue with the aircraft, Secretary Blinken and the American delegation drove from Paris to Brussels to attend the NATO Foreign Ministers meeting.” Despite the hiccup, the commitment to fulfill diplomatic duties remained undeterred. The journey by road was approximately 190 miles.

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The aircraft, an older Boeing 737 model modified for official use, encountered difficulties that prevented air travel. This incident is not the first aviation challenge faced by Blinken; earlier in the year, a similar mechanical issue with a Boeing 737 disrupted his return from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

This week’s agenda for Blinken in France was packed with high-profile engagements, including meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron and UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay and a visit to the Nexter headquarters in Versailles alongside French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu.

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