MNA � Deputy Iranian road minister said Siemens of Germany was planning to finance Iranian power and rail projects with a value of three billion dollars.

Deputy Minister for International Affairs at the Ministry of Road and Urban Development Asghar Fakhrieh Kashan said the country�s Health Ministry was in talks with Airbus to purchase 45 rescue helicopters. He explained that the two Iranian ministries had agreed to incorporate the helicopter deal into Iran�s other contract with Airbus on importing civil aircraft in a bid to from a single agreement with the French manufacturer.

�Furthermore, three air-sea rescue helicopters will be also purchased for the Ports and Maritime Organization of Iran (PMO) through tenders,� he continued. Fakhrieh Kashan underscored that all the helicopters to enter the Iranian fleet will be brand-new.

The official said, during a recent visit to Germany, talks were held with Siemens Automation company over its presence in Iran�s rail and power projects. In the rail section, a number of Siemens wagons will be bought for Tehran-Qom-Isfahan express train through financing. The German firm will also launch partnership with Iran in signaling issues of the high-speed train project.

He added that the Siemens finance for Iran's rail and power projects would amount to � 3 billion stating �joint presence of MAPNA (Iran Power Plant Projects Management Co.) in financing a number of Iran's development projects linked to Siemens activities, both in the power plant sector and in the locomotive manufacturing sector, would strengthen domestic production.

At another part of his remarks, deputy road minister of Iran touched upon blocked accounts of Iranians in some Chinese banks saying �the issue will exert no impact on financing of Tehran-Qom-Isfahan express train project or other construction projects financed by Chinese sides.�