TEHRAN, Jan.31 (MNA) � Iran�s minister of road and urban development said consultations have been made with France and Italy for expediting the renovation of the country�s railway network on hire purchase.

The announcement was made by Minister of Road and Urban Development Abbas Akhundi on Sunday on the sidelines of the first rail-based city planning specialist seminar.

He added that in addition to the renovation on hire purchase, the completion of the railway network is also on the agenda.

�We have held talks with China and some European countries for launching high-speed rail on affordable budget; I hope the talks will yield positive results,� he said.

�Overall, we have held good talks on this issue with the foreign sides but we have not yet signed any agreements. We will make announcements once the agreement has been inked,� he said.

The first rail-based city planning specialist seminar with the objective of urban and regional development based on rail transport was held in Tehran on Sunday with the attendance of all officials in the field of rail transport.

Heading a 120-strong delegation of business leaders and ministers, Rouhani paid a four-day visit to Rome and Paris to sign billions of dollars of business deals aimed at rebuilding the country�s ties with the West after years of economic sanctions.

By Mehr News Agency