Market economy status to Vietnam

India on Sunday said it had granted the Market Economy Status (MES) to Vietnam, which responded by entering into the Indo-Asean Free Trade Agreement (FTA) signed with other members of the 10-nation bloc in August.

“Yes we have granted MES to Vietnam... and the Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung thanked our prime minister,” Secretary (East) in the Ministry of External Affairs, N Ravi, said.