Bulgarian State Railways (BDZ) would stop servicing Kremikovtzi steel mill at 6pm on February 12 2008, BDZ executive director Oleg Petkov told Focus news agency after meeting with Kremikovtzi representatives.

“I am not happy with our meeting and therefore we will stop servicing Kremikovtzi after 6pm,” Petkov said. The railway is the main transportation means used by Kremikovtzi to receive raw materials and deliver its products.

BDZ claims the steelworks owes it 24 million leva, but the two sides could not reach an agreement on how and when the money would be paid.

The drama surrounding the future of Kremikovtzi remains open-ended. Last month, it became the target of controversy and speculation, starting with whether the steel mill had enough money to keep working. The uncertainty has been further compounded by talks regarding its potential sale, the sacking of its chief executive, several protests by Kremikovtzi workers demanding payment of overdue wages and trade unions' allegations of asset stripping.