Hanoi, June 18 -- The nation continues to receive positive assessments from international organizations regarding the quality of its business environment and the effectiveness of its economic reforms.

The Heritage Foundation noted that since the Index of Economic Freedom was first published in 1995, few economies of comparable size have achieved such significant improvements as Viet Nam in its transition toward a market-oriented economy.

The most noteworthy aspect of this year's report is not Viet Nam's ranking but its long-term progress.

When the Heritage Foundation first introduced the index in 1995, the country scored only 41.7 points. After more than three decades of Doi Moi and international economic integration, the country's sco...