Cairo, Feb 8 (IANS): Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi on Tuesday extended condolences to his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad over the loss of lives in the earthquakes in Syria.

In a phone conversation, al-Sisi expressed "his full solidarity with the people of Syria over this painful event," and wished the wounded a speedy recovery, according to a statement by Egypt's presidency office.

He also expressed willingness to provide all kinds of aid and help to Syria, Xinhua news agency reported.

For his part, al-Assad stressed the importance of the historical ties between the two countries and their people.

Nearly 5,000 people have been killed and tens of thousands injured as of Tuesday noon by the devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria. The quakes could also be felt in Lebanon, Cyprus, Israel and other surrounding countries.

This is the first-ever phone conversation between the two Presidents since al-Sisi took office.