February 4, 2006	Saturday	Muharram 5, 1427

LUXEMBOURG, Feb 3: Mittal Steel could close its only majority-owned steel factory in Luxembourg, a Mittal spokesman said on Friday, as wrangling continued over its hostile bid for Arcelor.

But the plant, of which Mittal owns 75.0 per cent with the other 25.0pc controlled by European steel maker Arcelor, would not close before 2009-2010, said spokesman Guenter de Backer.

The factory at Schifflange in southern Luxembourg employs 200 people.

A spokeswoman for Mittal in France, Anne-France Malrieu, underlined that closing the plant was “only one option,” adding that “no definitive decision has been taken” so far.—AFP