India's rice export ban a temporary move

India and Vietnam have indicated that their independent restrictions on the export of certain varieties of rice are "temporary, short-term management tools that they need for their own particular situations,' according to the Association of South East Asian Nations Secretary General, Surin Pitsuwan. India, a major dialogue partner of the ASEAN, and Vietnam, a member of the 10-nation group, rank next only to Thailand, another member of this association, as the world's three largest rice-exporters.