Strasbourg, 05/10/2001 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday, Parliament adopted a resolution in which it calls on the Vietnamese authorities to abolish the death sentence (and, in the meantime, guarantee the implementation of a moratorium) and to ratify the second optional protocol to the International Pact on Civil and Political Rights. Abolition of the death penalty is fundamental to the European Commission, the Commissioner for humanitarian aid, Poul Nielson, confirmed, observing that, despite a certain amount of progress, Vietnam remains a country little accustomed to public dissent. All these problems would be raised at the EEC/Vietnam Joint Committee, to meet in Hanoi in November.