Ethiopia says it has accepted "in principle" an independent commission's ruling on its border with former foe Eritrea.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi told parliament members Thursday the government has accepted the ruling in the best interests of the country.

Ethiopia and Eritrea fought a 2.5-year border war between May 1998 and December 2000 in which tens of thousands of people were killed.

As part of a deal to end the war, the two nations agreed to form an independent boundary commission and that its decision would be final and binding. Eritrea accepted the April 2000 decision but Ethiopia said it disagreed with some aspects of its findings.