Bosnian defence unified

By Nick Hawton BBC correspondent in Sarajevo

An historic agreement on defence reform has been reached by Bosnia's Serbs, Croats and Muslims.

For the first time, representatives from all three ethnic groups have agreed to set up a state defence ministry and unified military command.

Soldiers will serve under the same flag

There had been deep divisions among the country's armed forces since the end of the Bosnian war eight years ago.

The move brings the country closer to eventually joining Nato.

After three months of often fraught negotiations, a series of draft laws have been agreed which will transform the make-up of Bosnia's armed forces.

For the first time, there will be a state defence minister and army chief; soldiers will wear the same uniform with state insignia; they will swear the same oath and serve under the same flag.

There is a commitment, a desire to move forward and get beyond the very destructive and terrible times that were experienced here General William Ward

The head of the Nato-led peacekeeping force in Bosnia, General William Ward, helped negotiate the deal.

"The key ingredient was the creation of a unified defence establishment in Bosnia... All their operational lines are controlled through the establishment of an operational chain of command," he said.

Reduced powers

Following the Dayton peace agreement in 1995, the country's armed forces were divided into two, between the Bosnian Serb army and the army of the Muslim Croat Federation.

Both have been answerable to their own separate parliaments.

Whilst these armies will remain in name, their powers will be greatly reduced, and - crucially - they will now be answerable to parliament and presidency.

"I think it sends a great message... that there is a commitment, a desire to move forward and get beyond the very destructive and terrible times that were experienced here during the war," General Ward said

The draft laws still have to be approved by the Bosnian parliaments, but many now believe that the reforms, when confirmed, will lead Bosnia on the path to eventual membership of Nato - a significant step for a country so recently ripped apart by ethnic conflict.