Syria's Al Assad Expresses Gratitude to President Sisi over Phone

On Monday, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad expressed his appreciation for President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi's fraternal feelings during phone talks. This came against the backdrop of the series of aid provided by Egypt to the Syrian people.

Earlier today, Egypt's foreign minister met Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on the first visit to Damascus by a top Egyptian diplomat since the civil war began in 2011.

The Egyptian top diplomat conveyed a message of solidarity with the Syrian people in the wake of the devastating earthquake that rocked their country on February 6, Abu Zeid said in a tweet. 

Egypt was looking forward to providing more quake assistance “in full coordination with the Syrian government,” after already having donated some 1,500 tonnes so far, Shoukry added, standing alongside Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad.

The earthquake killed more than 5,900 people in Syria, the bulk of them in the rebel-held northwest. In Turkey, the death toll stands at more than 44,000.

The Arab League suspended Syria in 2011 over the government's deadly crackdown on protests, and many U.S.-allied Arab states backed the opposition seeking to topple Assad.