Wouldn't 'empathise' fit better?
Maybe in your country, my friend.
No, I think the idea you're trying to convey is empathy. You feel what he feels because of a similar experience. Sympathy is different.
So you're saying I can't feel sympathetic towards his experience?
You can, but if you're saying "I know how you feel, a friend of mine killed himself too" then that's empathy, not sympathy.