Vietnam sides with the victims in their lawsuits against the companies that produced Agent Orange (dioxin) and demands that these companies be held accountable for the consequences suffered by the Vietnamese people.

Tran To Nga at a press conference. Photo: Vietnam News Agency

The point was made by the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pham Thu Hang at the ministry’s regular press conference today (August 22).

She said that the severe effects of Agent Orange (dioxin) used by the US during the war against American troops continue to linger.

Responding to a Paris-based court’s decision to reject Tran To Nga's appeal in her lawsuit against the companies that produced Agent Orange, Hang expressed Vietnam’s deep regret over this ruling.

“While the war has concluded, its tremendous implications continue to linger on the country and people of Vietnam, including the long-term, severe consequences of Agent Orange or dioxin,” she said.

“We strongly support the efforts of Agent Orange victims to urge chemical companies in charge of producing and supplying Agent Orange or dioxin to the US in the war, which have caused millions of Vietnamese people to become victims, to take responsibility and address their relevant consequences,” the spokesperson added.

Earlier today (August 22, local time), a court in Paris rejected Nga's appeal. Since 2014, she has pursued a lawsuit against Monsanto and other agrochemical companies for their production of Agent Orange.

The US military used this toxic chemical during the war, leading to harmful effects on multiple generations of Vietnamese.

The court upheld the companies' legal immunity, citing that they were manufacturing the chemicals under contracts with the US government.

Nga had lost the initial case in 2021.