SARAJEVO, May 4: Bosnia s former warring parties are close to finalising the course of the boundary line that divides Bosnia Into two entitles, officials said Fridat. reports AFP

At a meeting in Sarajevo, officials from the Muslim-Croat federation and the Serb republic made substantive progress" in deciding on final changes on the 1.000 kilometre (600 mile) line first agreed under the Dayton peace accords, the spokesman for the NATO-led Implementation Force (IFOR) said

Major Simon Haselock said the lengthy meeting Thursday, carried out under IFOR auspices. had come very close to finalising" the boundary line.

There are still one or two

sticking points, and there will be another final meeting but we are greatly encouraged and there was champagne being popped in the headquarters last night.” Hase lock said.

For most of its course, the boundary line follows the route of the old frontlines that were established during the three-and-a-half-year war The only major changes to the frontll nes were made around Sarajevo. in central Bosnia, around the town of Mrkomjic Grad and in southern Bosnia around the town of Mostar

However when the line was originally drawn, around 400 sites were disputed by the various parties, ranging from deciding whether a well or house should Ue In one entity or another to disputes about

the "ownership" of entire villages.

According to Mugdim Cukle. head of the Bosnian -negotiating team, the meeting held Thursday, the 26th since NATO began chairing these talks, made significant pro-Sress towards resolving the istjxiints of disagreement.

These include the issue of the Sarajevo suburb Dobrinja which is split in two between Muslim ana Serbs, the fate of a series of villages in Zvornik. eastern Bosnia, and the future of a handful of villages in northern Bosnia near the Croat-held town of Orasje.

"The other side have reduced their requests to a more realistic level. .We have accepted in principle a solution for many locations .