RABAT, Oct 28 (Reuters) - Morocco agreed to buy

high-speed trains from French company Alstom on

Monday, one of a series of business deals signed during

President Emmanuel Macron's state visit to the kingdom as the

two countries turn the page on years of diplomatic tensions.

Paris and Rabat have had a difficult relationship in the

past three years - notably over immigration issues and over the

disputed territory of Western Sahara, which Morocco wants the

international community to recognise as Moroccan.

After walking a tightrope to avoid angering Morocco's rival

Algeria, Macron backed Morocco's position on Western Sahara in

July, paving the way for the reconciliation. Macron is

travelling with a dozen ministers and some 40 business

executives.

In a rare honour to a foreign guest, King Mohammed VI,

walking with a cane, came to greet Macron and his wife Brigitte

at the airport on Monday, before the contract-signing ceremony

at the Moroccan royal palace.

France was rewarded with a deal between Morocco's rail

operator ONCF and France's Alstom to acquire 12 high-speed

carriages and an option for a further six as Morocco seeks to

expand an existing line farther south to Marrakech by 2030.

French energy firms Engie and EDF also signed

deals to expand in the renewable energy sector, while

TotalEnergies signed a deal on hydrogen, although no

amount was immediately disclosed. Shipping company CMA CGM also

announced investments in a Moroccan port terminal.

French officials said contracts for both sides were worth

more than 10 billion euros ($10.8 billion) overall but did not

disclose a precise breakdown.

France was also hoping the visit will resolve tensions over

immigration, which is a particularly hot issue in France, where

the government is under pressure from right-wing parties to send

back more unwanted migrants to countries like Morocco.

In 2021, Paris had decided to drastically cut the number of

visas it awards North African visitors, in a bid to pressure

these countries to facilitate the return of those migrants.

The policy had deeply aggrieved Morocco, and France

eventually ended visa restrictions in 2022.

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