On the afternoon of August 22, at the regular press conference of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, answering reporters' questions about the trial related to the case of Ms. Tran To Nga suing US companies that produce Agent Orange/dioxin, Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pham Thu Hang said: We have just received information about this.
Vietnam regrets the decision of the Paris Court of Appeal on the case and we have repeatedly expressed our views on this. Although the war is over, its severe consequences still have a profound impact on the country and people of Vietnam, including the long-term, serious consequences of Agent Orange/dioxin.
We strongly support the victims of Agent Orange/dioxin, demanding that the chemical companies that produced and supplied Agent Orange/dioxin to the United States during the war in Vietnam, which caused millions of Vietnamese victims, be responsible for remedying the consequences they caused.
It is known that in 2014, Ms. Tran To Nga, a French citizen of Vietnamese origin, a victim of Agent Orange/dioxin, filed a lawsuit at the Court of Evry in the suburbs of Paris. The lawsuit against the American chemical corporations was brought to trial in 2021. However, the Court of Evry dismissed the lawsuit because it believed that these businesses had sufficient grounds to use "immunity", since they acted at the request of the US government.
Therefore, the Évry Court does not have sufficient jurisdiction to judge the actions of another sovereign state. On the morning of May 7, 2024, the Paris Court of Appeal (France) opened a hearing for Ms. Tran To Nga's lawsuit against 14 American chemical companies, including Monsanto, for producing and trading herbicides containing dioxin (Agent Orange) supplied to the US military for use during the Vietnam War. The Paris Court of Appeal on August 22, 2024 issued a ruling similar to the Ervy Court of First Instance.
*Also at the press conference, answering a reporter's question about the British media reporting that the country had warned that citizens coming to Vietnam could be banned from leaving the country or have their passports confiscated, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Pham Thu Hang said:
We completely reject such false information. Vietnam's consistent policy is to always facilitate foreigners' entry, exit, and residence in Vietnam, thereby contributing to economic and social development.
In recent times, Vietnamese authorities have implemented many measures to facilitate travel for foreign citizens coming to Vietnam for the purposes of studying, working, investing, market research and tourism in accordance with Vietnamese law.
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